Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
State Highway 25A, one of Coromandel’s key routes, will require daytime closures for 2 weeks in November to allow for essential rebuild work.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Regional Manager Maintenance and Operations, Roger Brady, says the work will take place from Monday 10 November until approximately Friday 21 November, with the state highway closed each day from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
“The 2 sites, each approximately 1km long between Kōpū and Hikuai, are narrow with steep drop-offs and the work cannot be done safely with the road open.”
The road will open to traffic under single lane and stop/go each evening from 5pm and on Sunday 16 November. Delays can be expected with only a single lane open.
Critical services such as first responders and school buses will be escorted through the site during the day. All other vehicles will be required to take the SH25 detour which adds an hour to the travel time.
“SH25A is a vital link across the peninsula, and we would not be closing the road if there was any other way to get this work done safety and quickly,” says Mr Brady, “The top priorities are the safety of our people and road users and getting the state highway open as quickly as possible.
“We investigated doing this work with stop/go or controlled openings or allowing convoys of traffic through. However, these options are difficult to accommodate at such confined sites and would mean the job would take much longer with increased risk to contractor staff and road users.”
SH25A was closed for most of 2023 after a slip required a new bridge to be put in place.
“The emphasis in 2023 was all about resilience and our contractors got a lot of other work completed on the road during the closure. This work was not programmed, funded or resourced at that time.
“We have a busy summer maintenance season across Coromandel and always aim to get works done before the busy holiday period, while trying to minimise inconvenience to road users,’’ Mr Brady says.
This work follows on from the SH25 closure on the west coast of the peninsula for the deck replacement on the Boundary Creek Stream Bridge. That work is scheduled for the week following Labour Weekend from Wednesday 29 October for 7 days.
Please note that dates are weather-dependent.
