State Highway 25A re-opens, the moment of truth for finance minister Nicola Willis and Auckland Transport’s costly plans for Blockhouse Bay in the latest NZ Herald headlines.
Video / NZ Herald
State Highway 25A between Kōpū and Hikuai has reopened to traffic this morning, December 20.
Traffic is now able to cross over the new 124-metre Taparahi Bridge for the first time, three months earlier than anticipated.
Regional manager of infrastructure delivery for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Jo Wilton said the area around the bridge remained an active worksite until about April 2024, with a speed restriction and areas of new seal along the road.
“The new bridge isn’t just the fastest solution, it’s the most resilient solution too and it’s a tremendous feeling to see it opened and unwrapped today, just in time for Christmas.”
“This is a great example of what we want to do across the country.
“A big part of it is looking at working 24/7 more. We’ve got all the talent and smarts to do it so we need to look at how we can speed things up and get things done.
The bridge was needed after a section of the highway was washed away during late January’s major storm events.
Thames-Coromandel District mayor Len Salt said he was glad to host Luxon and Transport Minister Simeon Brown at the bridge and showcase what could be done.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do ahead of us but I’m feeling encouraged that we’re on the right path.
“We’re all so happy to have reached this part of the journey. It’s been a tough year on so many levels for so many people.
“Who would’ve thought that a bridge would get such an emotional response from the community it affects. This isn’t about infrastructure. This is about how it affects the community.”
The news brings a welcome economic boost to the beleaguered Coromandel Peninsula, an area heavily reliant on tourism, which has suffered severe economic downturn on the back of last summer’s cyclones and weather events.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon got an up-close look at the new SH25A bridge.
Construction began in June after the Government committed to fund New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi an initial cost estimate of $30-40 million in May, which was later revised to be closer to $50 million.
Transport Minister at the time, Michael Wood, said the money for the project would come from the Government’s $250m top-up to the National Land Transport Programme fund, set up to support the recovery.
NZTA Waka Kotahi regional manager Jo Wilton said getting traffic across as soon as possible has always been the aim.
“We’re thrilled to be able to announce that the two sides of the Coromandel Peninsula will be reconnected once again in time for the summer holidays.
“We know how difficult the highway closure has been on local families, businesses, schools and communities and its impact on visitors to the region. That’s why, along with our builders, McConnell Dowell and Fulton Hogan J.V., we’ve pulled out all the stops to deliver the fastest and most resilient solution for the Coromandel.
“Getting it open in less than seven months is a huge achievement given that a bridge of this type normally takes 12 to 14 months to construct.
“We’ve built the bridge in record time by accelerating our work programme, with teams working 24-hour shifts both onsite and offsite at Eastbridge in Napier, where the steel girders were manufactured.
“In addition, we used a bridge design we already had and repurposed steel plates that had been purchased for the Minden Bridge on Tauranga’s Takitimu North Link project, meaning we didn’t have a lengthy wait for steel to come in from overseas.”
