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State Highway 4 (SH4) between Manunui and National Park has reopened early to 1 lane this afternoon under stop/go, and will be fully reopen by the end of the day under a temporary speed limit.

The highway has been closed since Monday morning 14 April for emergency repairs, due to the discovery of a tomo (cavity) under the road at Mansons Siding, Raurimu.

“The tomo was likely formed due to erosion from a concentration of moisture under the road,” says Sandra King, System Manager Waikato for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

“Repairs involved excavating 5 metres below the road level. The team constructed a drainage blanket at the base of the excavation and again at approximately 2 metres deep to ensure any moisture in this sensitive geological location was able to drain.

“Contractors finished building material back up to 400mm below surface this morning and are reinstating the pavement now,” Ms King says.

The speed limit will remain over the Easter weekend to allow the surface to settle safely before contractors return next week to prep the surface and seal.

Ms King advises road users to take care through the site and thanks them for their patience.

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There are brighter days ahead for Tairua with progress on a new 2-lane bridge on State Highway 25 (SH25), which will cull queues of holiday traffic at the single-lane Pepe Stream Bridge. 

The replacement bridge project is now in the procurement phase ahead of construction starting late next year says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). 

“The business case developed by NZTA in 2022 along with engagement with iwi and stakeholders has determined that the preferred option is a 2-lane bridge with an attached shared walking and cycling path to replace the single-lane bridge and a separate pedestrian bridge,” says Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery, Darryl Coalter. 

Later this month a community information session will be held at Tairua to update the community and SH25 users on what’s ahead. 

“With funding confirmed, there is a lot of work ahead to get the bridge designed and consented, but the countdown is on for construction to start by late 2026. All going well NZTA’s target is to have traffic on the new bridge by Christmas 2027. 

“While NZTA engaged with the community as part of the Business Case development, we are keen to hear what’s important to people who live, work or holiday in the area,” Mr Coalter says. 

The project team will be at the Tairua Community Hall on Wednesday 30 April, and people can call in any time between 3pm and 6pm. 

NZTA will be seeking a design and build contract and expects to have a contractor in place later this year. Construction methodology is critical because SH25 needs to remain open during the build. 

The current bridge crosses a tidal stream on SH25 south of the Tairua town centre.

The project is part of a wider bridge programme to improve safety, efficiency and resilience on the state highway around the peninsula. 

Work will begin later this year at the Boundary Creek Bridge on the Thames Coast north of Te Mata.  Design of a new 2-lane bridge to replace the single lane bridge Ramarama Stream Bridge on SH25, just north of Whiritoa, is also underway.   

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With severe weather arriving ahead of the busy Easter holiday period, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is advising road users in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, to be prepared and take extra care on the roads.

Heavy rain and strong winds are forecast, with MetService issuing a severe weather warning from tonight until end of day on Friday 18 April for Coromandel and Western Bay of Plenty.

The orange warning is likely to be extended further into the Waikato and across the Kaimai Range.

With school holidays, and Easter approaching, it’s busier than usual on our roads, and Waikato Journey Manger for NZTA, Andrew Brosnan, urges motorists to be vigilant.

“Essentially, the message is –  be ready for difficult driving conditions. There’s the potential for surface flooding and slips. Anticipate that there could be trees or debris on the road just around the next corner. There’s also a risk of downed powerlines – so expect the unexpected.

“If you need to travel, allow extra time for your journey. Slow down and keep a safe following distance from the vehicle in front. Keep your headlights on to increase visibility.

“Thunderstorms are possible on Friday. While the current estimate is up to 250 mm of rain to fall on the Comomandel Ranges, there is potential for this to increase.

“Be aware that streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Strong winds are creating dangerous coastal conditions around the upper North Island, with large waves potentially causing coastal inundation and erosion. The highest risk for the Coromandel is around high tide.”

NZTA contractors are out clearing critical drainage areas on the network and have crews on standby to manage any issues as the weather takes hold.

Road uses should be aware that there may be some areas of the network where traffic management or temporary speed limits are in place. There will be traffic management in place on State Highway 25 at the Pepe Steam Bridge at Tairua over both Easter and Anzac weekends, to help keep traffic moving over the holiday period.

“Please adhere to temporary speed limits and follow the directions of traffic management in work zones, even if you can’t see active work underway. It is there for your protection, the protection of workers and other motorists. This is especially important in poor weather,” Mr Brosnan says.

Plan ahead before you travel with the Easter and Anzac travel advisory in the NZTA Journey Planner.

Easter and Anzac holiday weekends 2025 | NZTA Journey Planner(external link)

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As work progresses on a hi-tech weigh station at Taupō, traffic will continue to be managed through works on the surrounding state highways and local roads.

Five sites leading to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre are having in-road weighing technology installed and these will be coned off for 30 days from late April/early May to cure the asphalt before the technology is installed advises NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA)

“So while it may look like nothing is happening beyond the cones, it is essential to give the asphalt time to cure and be ready for installing the weigh-in-motion scales,” says Regional Manager for Infrastructure Delivery, Darryl Coalter.

“The asphalt layer at each site needs time to harden and gain strength. The new layer needs to be undisturbed for 30 days so that it hardens sufficiently for contractors to make precise cuts into it to fit the weigh-in-motion weigh plates.

“We can’t remove the traffic management and run traffic over it because it has been laid at precise levels so the scales work properly when they are installed. We want to avoid the risk of the soft asphalt crumbling.”

The scales are being installed on 5 of the roads heading towards the safety centre:

• SH1 north of the SH1/5 roundabout
• SH1 south of the roundabout
• SH5 east of the roundabout
• Napier Road west of the roundabout
• Nearby Crown Road.

Temporary lanes have been built on the road shoulders to allow traffic to pass around the work areas and minimise the use of stop/go or temporary detours.  Speed restrictions are in place and only minor delays are expected.

The curing period will run from the end of April to the end of May.

The Taupō weight station is 1 of 12 facilities NZTA is building on high-volume freight routes around the country for NZ Police to operate. The safety centres are part of the national Commercial Vehicle Safety Programme.

This technology will screen passing traffic and direct any suspected non-compliant heavy vehicles into the safety centre. Police officers on site will check vehicle weights, road user charges, certificates of fitness, logbooks and driver impairment.

Read more about the Commercial Vehicle Safety Centres:

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Programme (CVSP)

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Poor weather has delayed the opening of two new intersections at Tauriko.

The new intersection in Tauriko Village will now open with a temporary layout on Monday 5 May, providing access to a new carpark for Tauriko School and Playcentre.  

The new roundabout at the intersection of SH29 and Redwood Lane will now open on Wednesday 7 May. 

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) apologises for the delay.

This updates the information below:

16 April:

Road users will be enjoying 2 new Tauriko West intersections by May, as part of the State Highway 29 (SH29) Tauriko Enabling Works project. 

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises that a new intersection in Tauriko Village, near where the former service station was, will open with a temporary layout on Tuesday 29 April, providing access to a safer, new carpark for Tauriko School and Playcentre.  

Motorists will be travelling through a new roundabout at the intersection of SH29 and Redwood Lane from Thursday 1 May, also under temporary layout. 

Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Darryl Coalter, says the opening of these intersections is a step towards a better connected Tauriko West. 

“March marked 1 year of construction on this project, and we’re thrilled with the progress that’s being made. These 2 intersections are integral pieces of the puzzle and will result in safer and more efficient ways to move around Tauriko once completed. 

“They will open in temporary states to enable new work areas and allow the team to continue their hard work on the surrounding infrastructure, while facilitating traffic to continue flowing. 

“We’re also pleased to be handing over a new, safer carpark for the school and Playcentre community.” 

The new road off SH29 in Tauriko Village will also link to the planned community in Tauriko West, being developed to help accommodate Tauranga’s growing population. 

Tauranga City Tauriko Ward Councillor Marten Rozeboom says the project is reaching a special milestone with the 2 new intersections.  

“Regular users of SH29 have seen significant changes take place over the past 12 months, and they’ll soon be able to use the new layout and experience how much easier it makes travelling this route.” 

The Tauriko Village intersection will eventually feature additional lanes and be signalised with traffic lights. although it will initially open without lights while the team works on the surrounding infrastructure. This includes constructing retaining and noise walls; stormwater, wastewater, and power upgrades; and widening SH29 to allow for additional lanes and a shared path through Tauriko Village. 

The intersection will remain in a temporary configuration until early 2026, with further layout changes to come while work is undertaken on the southern side of SH29. More information will be communicated closer to the time.  

At Redwood Lane, traffic will be switched across to the new, temporary single-lane layout, which will see motorists on SH29 shifted slightly to the west of the current state highway lanes to approach the new roundabout. 

Once completed, the roundabout will have 2 lanes travelling in each direction. When it first opens it will have 1 lane in each direction while work continues on widening SH29 on the eastern side, along with extending the pedestrian and cycle underpass beneath the road and completing the Kaweroa Drive extension of the roundabout. 

The Kaweroa Drive extension, accessed via the fourth leg directly opposite Redwood Lane, won’t be in use until the roundabout works are completed. This is expected be in late 2025/early 2026.  

Road users and the local community should prepare for:  

Tauriko Village 

Overnight on Wednesday April 23 and again on Monday 28 April (between 6pm and 6am) there will be a stop/go and temporary speed limit of 30km/h to relocate the safety barriers on SH29 through Tauriko Village in preparation for a new intersection opening on Tuesday 29 April.

From Tuesday 29 April there will be a stop/go operation and temporary speed limit of 30km/h for night works to install safety barriers along the northern side of SH29 in the Tauriko Village. This work is expected to take 5 nights and continue into the following week.  

As part of this work, traffic lanes will be shifted to the southern side of SH29 to allow for the upcoming widening work on the northern side of SH29. Traffic lanes will be maintained in both directions, along with the flush median down the centre of the road and access to businesses and residential properties will remain. However, there will be a reduction in the width of the shoulder along each side of the road, meaning reduced space available for entering and exiting driveways and heading south on SH29.

The work on the northern side of SH29 is expected to take 1 year.  

Tauriko Village temporary intersection map [PDF, 188 KB]

Redwood Lane 

Night works (between 6pm and 6am) will be carried out ahead of switching traffic onto the roundabout, starting with safety barrier relocation on Tuesday 22 April, followed by resurfacing works from Sunday 27 April for 5 nights. Overnight on Wednesday 30 April, the team will be line marking and preparing the new road, with the new roundabout expected to be in use on the morning of Thursday 1 May. These works will involve stop/go, shoulder closures, rolling blocks, and a temporary 30km/h speed limit on SH29. 

People are asked to drive with extra care through the area, while people adjust to the new traffic conditions, allow extra time for their journeys and follow any signage or instructions provided by road workers. 

These night works are weather dependent. If work is delayed because of weather or other unforeseen issues, it will be carried out on the next suitable night. 

Elsewhere on the project, construction of the major retaining wall on Cambridge Road is well underway in preparation for the new signalised intersection with SH29. This includes a new connection to Whiore Avenue for people walking and cycling and bus access, only. 

Work is also underway on the wastewater upgrades in Whiore Avenue and watermains upgrade on SH29, near Gargan Road, starting with investigative works to establish the location of existing underground services.  

The SH29 Tauriko Enabling Works are being delivered by NZTA together with Tauranga City Council. Downer is delivering the construction for the project.  

Redwood Lane temporary intersection map [PDF, 176 KB]

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NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is welcoming a fine of $63,000 imposed during sentencing in Manukau District Court today in relation to an incident on 17 June 2023 in which the KiwiRail-operated Hamilton to Auckland Te Huia commuter service failed to obey a red signal in the busy Auckland Metro Rail Network.

NZTA prosecuted KiwiRail as the operator/licence holder of the Te Huia Service following an investigation into the incident, where the Te Huia, carrying over 90 passengers, passed a red signal at Penrose train station, and in doing so potentially put its passengers and other rail users at risk, and caused significant disruption on the Auckland metro network.

KiwiRail pleaded guilty to one charge alleging that it did not provide appropriate training of its personnel.

“As the regulator for rail safety in New Zealand, NZTA’s prosecution was taken to address a specific, identified risk in order to protect public safety. NZTA will not hesitate to take action, including prosecution, in relation to breaches of the Railways Act 2005. We welcome the sentence handed down today as a reminder to all licensed rail operators of the importance of ensuring appropriate training for their staff as a critical part of managing safety risks on the network,” says Gini Welch, NZTA National Manager, Rail Safety Regulation.

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NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA)’s plan to make the Dunedin SH1 one-way system easier to use, safer for everyone and more efficient takes its next step from today (Tuesday, 15 April). People’s feedback is welcome from Tuesday to Friday, 23 May.

Running between The Oval and the Pine Hill Road/Great King St intersection, SH1 on Cumberland and Castle Streets, is a key freight and commuter route linking the north and south sides of the city.

“In particular, NZTA wants to know what Dunedin people think of the preferred option for making the Pine Hill Road/SH1 and Great King St intersection safer and more functional for everyone,” says Ian Duncan, Acting Director of Regional Relationships for NZTA in Otago. 

The intersection is a key part of the SH1 one-way system into and through Dunedin, close to the Botanic Gardens and the entrance to North East Valley.

NZTA is now keen to hear what people think of its preferred option for this intersection, with several other proposed safety improvements to the SH1 one-way system, to help guide the next steps for this option.

“The SH1 proposed improvements are part of a business case which identifies ways to improve accessibility, supports new developments like the new Dunedin Hospital, while maintaining efficient traffic flow, and reduces risk for road users and pedestrians,” says Mr Duncan. 

He notes the long-standing safety concerns with increased risk of crashes because of limited visibility and heavy vehicles descending a steep hill at the SH1/ Pine Hill Road/Great King Street intersection.

“Our preferred option is to realign the SH1 traffic lane,” he says. “This would improve visibility and safety at the intersection and make it safer and more efficient for people heading to North East Valley.”

This would involve shifting the existing uphill traffic lane about ten metres into an area of Town Belt, requiring about 1000m² of this land.  (See map below). The existing bridge over the Water of Leith would be widened. NZTA will work with the Dunedin City Council on ways to compensate for the loss of public land.

What were the other options for that intersection?

Several options for making the SH1/Pine Hill/Great King St intersection safer were investigated and discussed with key stakeholders including the Dunedin City Council and road freight operators.

These included traffic signals and an overpass to separate SH1 traffic from vehicles using Great King Street. The overpass option was not progressed for several reasons: the cost, construction challenges, proximity to the Water of the Leith and environmental impacts, says Mr Duncan. The traffic signal option was not taken further given the significant safety concerns if a heavy vehicle lost traction or could not stop on the hill.

“NZTA’s preferred option would also increase the safety of the nearby Duke Street/SH1 Cumberland Street intersection. There were nine crashes there between 2019 and 2023, two-thirds of them caused by drivers trying to cross two busy lanes of the highway to Duke Street’s western side. To make this intersection safer, we are proposing to remove the straight-through movement, and only allow left turns out of Duke Street on the eastern side to SH1 going south. We want to hear what people think of this idea also.”

Full details on all the proposed improvements for this SH1 Dunedin corridor are available on the project website along with details on how to provide feedback:

SH1 Dunedin safety improvements

More information about NZTA’s proposed improvement plans for SH1 and SH88 St Andrew Street to support transport access to the new Dunedin Hospital, will be available in the second half of 2025.