SH29 road closure: Bay of Plenty to Waikato highway to shut for maintenance

Waikato Herald

10 Jul, 2024 05:00 AM3 mins to read

State Highway 29 over the Kaimai Range will close for periods of four or five nights in July, September and November.

State Highway 29 Kaimai Range is set to close for the third time for maintenance works.

New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said it was a scheduled closure taking place over four nights from Sunday, July 14, to Wednesday, July 17, from 8pm to 3.30am each night.

The closure points on the western (Waikato) side will be at the SH29/24 and SH29/28 intersections and for the Bay of Plenty side it will be closed at the SH29/Cambridge Rd intersection .

Detours for the closure were significant and would add considerable time to journeys. People were encouraged to check the NZTA Journey Planner and allow extra time for their journey, or delay travel over SH29 on those nights.

NZTA said the closing the route was needed so contractors could undertake asphalt renewals and other routine maintenance activities such as clearing drains, sign maintenance and road marking.

“This is the third time we have closed SH29 for maintenance works. We have found the full closure provides huge safety benefits for both crews and road users,” said Roger Brady, NZTA Waka Kotahi regional manager maintenance and operations, for Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

State Highway 29 over the Kaimai Range will close for four nights starting from Sunday, July 14.

He said SH29 was a critical route, providing the key link between the country’s largest port and the Golden Triangle of Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.

“Around 14,000 vehicles use this road every day, including several thousand heavy vehicles. It is critical to maintain SH29 to ensure the route is safe and accessible for all road users.

“We’ve collaborated with freight operators and roading contractors to confirm days and times that work best for everybody. By locking in a schedule, regular road users including freight operators, can make plans to minimise the disruption to themselves and their customers,” Brady said.

“We’d like to thank our stakeholders and partners for working with us on this. While disruptive in the short term, everyone will enjoy the benefits of having a more reliable and safer route over the Kaimai Range.”.

Emergency services would have access at all times, and residents would be able to access their properties from the relevant side of the closure.

Further closures are due later in the year and the timetable of works below is current at the time of printing.