The long-awaited $40 million Kāeo Bridge now has both lanes open and is fully open for traffic. The yellow cranes are removing the old, one-lane bridge it replaced.
The long-awaited $40 million Kāeo Bridge now has both lanes open and is fully open for traffic. The yellow cranes are removing the old, one-lane bridge it replaced.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown was at the official opening of the new Kāeo Bridge on Saturday, saying it will improve safety and traffic flow for people heading to and from the Far North.
Work on the $40 million project, which includes a roundabout on the Kāeo side of the river to improve traffic flow, started in 2021. The new bridge is twice as long and wide as the old bridge, and also significantly higher to protect Kāeo from flooding.
The old one-way Kāeo Bridge had long been a summer chokepoint on SH10 between the Bay of Islands and Doubtless Bay. It was also too narrow for some loads.
The bridge is located on the Twin Coast Discovery Route, Northland’s main tourist route, and provides access to visitor destinations such as Doubtless Bay, Karikari Peninsula and Cape Reinga.
During peak visitor season, the single-lane bridge became a bottleneck, creating delays for everyone. Many of those driving across the bridge are not familiar with one-lane bridges and the need to give way caused confusion.
“This is an important piece of infrastructure for the Northland region that will help members of the local community, tourists, and freight vehicles, get to where they need to go, safely and efficiently,” Brown said.
The Kāeo Bridge was formally opened on Saturday
The Kāeo Bridge had been opened in a reduced capacity to allow one-way traffic earlier this month, for the busy Waitangi weekend, and is now fully open to two-lane traffic in time for the Easter break.
“Every day 5000 vehicles use this route, including around 350 freight trucks. During the summer peak, numbers can more than double to over 10,000 vehicles. It will be a welcome relief to motorists to have the new bridge open, and I want to congratulate NZTA and the local Fulton Hogan construction team for completing it two months ahead of schedule,” Brown said.
The new design, with two lanes and a roundabout at the intersection of SH10 and Whangaroa Rd, will make it safer and easier to travel through the intersection and over the bridge, as well as improving traffic flow.
“We have heard from the local community that the old single-lane bridge and intersection was dangerous and that there was a serious risk of flooding in Kāeo, even before the extreme weather events of 2023,” he said.
“At 110 metres long, the new bridge is over twice the length of the previous bridge. This will allow for a larger volume of water to move underneath it, increasing transport resilience in the region.”
Some of the work remaining can be done while the bridge is open, which includes the demolition of the old bridge, roundabout, tie-ins and artwork. The project is expected to be fully completed by April.
