The 80-year-old Pepe Stream bridge in Tairua is scheduled to be replaced with a two-lane structure by 2027.
The 80-year-old Pepe Stream bridge in Tairua is scheduled to be replaced with a two-lane structure by 2027.
Detailed design plans for the replacement of Tairua’s troublesome 80-year-old one-lane Pepe Stream bridge are set to go out to tender in the coming months as the Coromandel braces for another busy peak summer season.
New Zealand Transport AgencyWaka Kotahi (NZTA) Waikato journey manager Andy Brosnan said the agency is developing the tender documentation to replace the bridge with a two-lane bridge while confirming traffic management would again be in place between December 23 and January 5, with the exception of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
The construction start date of a replacement structure was dependent on consenting timeframes, Brosnan said.
Tairua’s one-lane Pepe Stream bridge at the south end of the town becomes a significant bottleneck at peak periods every summer due to its proximity to the shopping centre and popular harbourside reserve.
Brosnan said, as per previous years, traffic management would involve manual stop-go conditions at either end of the Pepe Stream bridge to manage increased traffic flows.
Traffic would be monitored by contractors, and if movement was lighter than expected, they would pack down and let traffic flow.
“The traffic team will be able to escort emergency services and rubbish trucks through to avoid delays for these services.”
Thames-Coromandel District Council advised motorists traffic was still anticipated to be heavy throughout the Coromandel during the holiday period, and the usual bottleneck at Tairua would likely delay drivers.
“We’re encouraging locals and visitors to plan their travel to allow for potentially long delays.”
National MP for Coromandel Scott Simpson and Transport Minister Simeon Brown at Simpson's office in Thames in July.
Speaking to the Hauraki-Coromandel Post in July, Transport Minister Simeon Brown, who was in Thames to announce the bridge replacement programme, acknowledged there would be ongoing issues with bottlenecks throughout the SH25 network in the Coromandel.
“There is more work to be done; there is a lot of work to be done.”
Brown could not put a figure on what it would cost to replace the Pepe Stream bridge but said the combined cost of the nine projects across the country would be between $100-125 million.
“Visiting the Coromandel today, I understand the impact the current Pepe Stream bridge is having on the local community and motorists that are visiting Tairua,” Brown said at the time.
“At 81 years old, the single-lane bridge is a bottleneck, with severe congestion experienced during holiday periods; times have changed but the bridge has not. It continually holds up traffic.”
In a statement, Thames-Coromandel District Council confirmed the Pepe Stream bridge was built in 1942 and was at the end of its lifespan.
NZTA regularly inspected and maintained the bridge and said it remained safe.
The agency began a business case to explore replacement options for the bridge several years ago.
The Ramarama Stream Bridge, also on SH25, and the Ohinekaua Stream Bridge on SH27, both in the Coromandel, are also scheduled to be replaced, with all nine projects expected to begin in mid-2025 and be completed by mid-2027.
