Kāeo Bridge delayed by soaring costs but Waka Kotahi says start date due 'soon'

Artist's impression of the planned two-lane bridge over Kāeo River. Image / Waka Kotahi

Plans for a two-lane bridge over Kāeo River have been delayed by soaring construction costs — but roading agency Waka Kotahi insists news of a start date is not far away.

Replacing the one-lane Kāeo Bridge on State Highway 10 was a centrepiece of the then National government's ''10 bridges'' pledge in the 2015 Northland byelection campaign.

Two-lane bridges have since been built at Taipā and Matakohe but little progress, bar some geotechnical work, has been visible at Kāeo.

The $22 million project includes a two-way bridge, with the eastern end shifted slightly south of the current bridge, plus a roundabout at the intersection of SH10 and Whangaroa Rd to improve safety and traffic flow.

A Waka Kotahi spokesperson said preparations for the new bridge, which included relocating underground utilities, had started.

However, a construction contract had not been awarded so details such as cost, start and completion date were not yet known, the spokesperson said.

The current one-lane bridge on SH10 just north of Kāeo. Photo / Michael Cunningham

In a project update on Waka Kotahi website earlier this month, the agency said the Covid-19 pandemic and other factors had increased material costs for the new bridge and roundabout.

As a result the agency was making adjustments to the budget, originally set at $22m, and scope of the project.

Those challenges had delayed the intended starting date but would make the project more robust in the long run. A start date would be announced soon, the website stated.

Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones (second from right) speaks during the blessing of the Kaeo Bridge site in April 2019. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Kaeo Bridge was the location chosen by the National Party for the 2015 announcement of its ''10 bridges'' programme by candidate Mark Osborne and then Transport Minister Simon Bridges.

The idea was to spend $69m replacing 10 one-way bridges but it transpired later that one was in fact a ramp built to protect two kauri trees in Waipoua Forest. An NZTA report found no economic or safety reasons to build three of the other proposed bridges.

A two-way bridge on SH10 at Taipā, previously a summer traffic choke-point, opened in early 2019 along with two new bridges on SH12 at Matakohe. The old Matakohe bridges were the scene of frequent serious crashes.

Construction of the Kāeo Bridge appeared imminent in 2019 when the site was blessed in a ceremony attended by then Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones.