Mayor Revell welcomes State Highway funding for the Coromandel
Published on 29 May 2026
Thames-Coromandel District Council Mayor Peter Revell says the Government's announcement of $85 million in funding for State Highway improvement projects in the Coromandel is a critical investment that will help keep our communities connected in severe weather events.
"The State Highways are essential lifelines for our communities. When they are compromised by slips and flooding there are no practical alternatives. Our communities become isolated, businesses can't operate and essential services struggle to reach those in need," Mayor Revell said.
"This is much-needed funding that our Council has been consistently pressing the Government to direct our way. You only need to look at how well SH25A from Kōpū to Hikuai has held out since the new bridge and other improvements were made after Cyclone Gabrielle. That road has been open and accessible pretty much all through the repeated storms we've experienced since it was reopened in late 2023," Mayor Revell said.
"We've already had three severe weather events this year that isolated communities and disrupted businesses. This investment will help reduce the risk of road closures on the State Highways and allow us to bounce back more quickly," Mayor Revell said.
As part of yesterday's budget announcement, the Government allocated $400 million for transport resilience projects.
Up to eleven sites on the SH25 loop around the Coromandel have been identified for retaining works, drainage upgrades, slope stabilisation and road protection works, at an estimated cost of $20 million. Traffic volumes vary by section, up to 5,000 vehicles per day.
Kirikiri Stream bridge on SH26 in Kōpū by the golf course will be replaced with a higher, more resilient structure, the approaches will be raised and a permanent roundabout at the nearby intersection of SH26 and SH25A (Kōpū-Hikuai Rd) will be installed, all at an estimated cost of $65 million.
The existing bridge is more than 80 years old and vulnerable to flooding. The replacement bridge will improve flood protection from what is currently a one-in-five-year event to a one-in-100-year event. The road there carries about 5,400 vehicles every day.