Waikato Expressway coming through as new Hamilton bridge opens

Kay Road in Rototuna reopens to the public on Friday after the completion of a bridge next to the Rototuna Reservoir, to take the road over the Waikato Expressway. Photo / Facebook

Hamilton's section of the Waikato Expressway continues to develop at a steady pace, with reopening of Kay Rd in Rototuna today a significant step in the project.

The road had been closed for the past 14 months to allow construction of a bridge over a section of the Waikato Expressway.
The bridge, which is the highest on the Hamilton section, standing at 18m above the expressway, will provide commuters with an alternative route out of town as a section of Horsham Downs Rd will close on October 9 for a similar bridge construction project, NZTA says.

The Horsham Downs Rd closure location is just north of the Borman Road intersection, near the old chocolate factory.

During the closure, access to properties along Horsham Downs Road will be maintained at all times, but there will be no vehicle or pedestrian access through the bridge site, NZTA says.

Excavation and construction will take up to 14 months.

The road will reopen in late 2019.

The Hamilton section of the expressway is scheduled to be finished in 2020. The 22km stretch of road runs east of the city and connects the Ngāruawāhia section to the Cambridge section at Tamahere.

Opening of the Hamilton section will tie in with the opening of the Huntly section, which involves 15km of a four lane expressway through the Taupiri Pass.

This construction project will connect the already completed Ohinewai section of the expressway to the Ngāruawāhia section.