Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Getting some R & R in these summer holidays means ‘rest & relaxation’ for most people, but for our hard-working Auckland Harbour Bridge, R & R stands for ‘resurfacing & restrictions’.
Between Friday 26 December 2025 and Sunday 4 January 2026, there will be lane restrictions on the southbound clip-on lanes, while we carry out annual resurfacing.
“Resurfacing during the summer holiday periods means we can carry out repairs when traffic volumes are lower and there is less impact to travel journeys,” says NZTA System Manager Paul Geck.
“While the original lanes on the bridge (centre lanes) have a concrete deck, the clip-on lanes have a steel deck. Normal road surfacing systems do not bond well with steel, so we have developed an adhesive especially for this purpose.
“Assuming fine weather, it takes three to four days to prepare the deck surface and apply a protective membrane before paving.
“It then takes at least two days for the surfacing system to cure. The curing rate is heat dependent – if the weather is sunny and warm we expect it to cure faster than if it is rainy and cold,” Mr Geck says.
During this time the southbound clip-ons will be closed. Three lanes in each direction will still be available during the day for traffic to travel across the bridge.
Shelly Beach Road southbound off-ramp will also be closed. Road users should use Fanshawe Street southbound off-ramp and follow the recommended detour via Beaumont Street and Westhaven Drive.
“We appreciate this may be disruptive at times, but we’ll be working both day and night to complete it as quickly as possible,” Mr Geck says.
Painting and joint maintenance
Auckland Habour Bridge’s summer maintenance programme, which is already underway, is focusing on recoating parts of the Auckland Harbour Bridge overarches and expansion joint maintenance. This work will pause for the Christmas and New Years break on 19 December and begin again on 5 January 2026.
It requires lane restrictions overnight (excluding Friday and Saturday nights) to ensure the safety of the team and the community.
When the southbound clip-on lanes are closed, there is no access to Shelly Beach Road. When the northbound clip-on lanes are closed, there is no access from Curran Street.
“The Auckland Harbour Bridge is a critical connection in our transport system, forming part of the busiest section of State Highway 1 (SH1) and we value your support as we carry out this essential maintenance.
We appreciate this may cause delays to your journey and ask that you plan ahead and refer to NZTA’s Journey Planner for details.
It might be worth using the Western Ring Route (SH16 and SH18) to avoid congestion where possible.
