Road and Highway Conditions

Important roading alerts will be visible at the top of our homepagePlease note that news on our Council roads is updated as soon as we receive confirmed reports from our roading crews. Please take care and drive to the conditions.

Weather-related road alerts

Please be patient, allow extra time for your journey, drive to the conditions and follow directions on signs and from our traffic management crews. We want everyone to get where they're going safely.

We've had reports of people moving signs and taking traffic management into their own hands. Please leave it to our roading contractors. If you spot any issues on roads report them to 0800 Highways (for State Highways) or our Council's call centre for local roads on 07 868 0200.

Road closure

  • Tapu-Coroglen Rd remains closed 10km from Tapu. It is expected to re-open on 8 December. See more information in the repair update below.

The latest on our local Council roads

Priority sites for repair from cyclone damage in early 2023:

Black Jack Road

 Black Jack Road repairs underway

Blackjack Road_edited1_edited.jpg

Kelsey Construction Ltd has also been awarded the contract for the Black Jack Road slip repairs at Kūaotunu through to Otama. Work started 13 November at 1.67km from the junction with State Highway 25, and are expected to take four weeks. Kelsey Construction will return on the 15 January 2024 to begin works at 1.96km, with that site expected to take six weeks to construct.

Every effort will be made to ensure both noise and dust are kept to a minimum to prioritise the health, safety and well-being of neighbouring residents. Temporary Traffic Management will involve road closures up to 50 minutes at a time, with the road open for 10 minutes on the hour. We'll be doing everything possible to limit delays and will only implement 50-minute closures when necessary.

Regular access to residential properties will be maintained during construction and any temporary closures will be communicated directly to residents to arrange suitable times.

If you have any concerns, please contact Kelsey Construction or our Council:

Thames-Coromandel District Council 

07 868 0200 | customer.services@tcdc.govt.nz

Kelsey Construction Ltd: Alex Kelsey, 021 781 727

Work update:

  • Timber poles and lagging completed.
  • Backfill completed.
  • Dish channel and culvert replacement work to begin week of 4 December.
  • Pavement works to begin week of 27 November.

Tapu-Coroglen Road repair update

 Tapu Coroglen reopening on track for early December

At Tapu-Coroglen, Kelsey Construction are progressing well. The delays caused by cyclone Lola and site vandalism have been made up by the contractors on site and (weather dependent) we anticipate having the route open by Friday 8 December, earlier than originally expected.

The route will still remain closed to all vehicles over 12.60 metres in length and is not an approved diversion route for the closure on State Highway 25A. 

Road Retreat site

  • The design chosen uses mass block retaining walls to support the underslip, with materials sourced from local suppliers.
  • This method has been chosen to ensure that works can be completed quickly, while providing a long-term solution that meets long-term needs.
  • Works for the three sites have been packaged together to maximise efficiency.

The current road closure will remain in place during construction. Access will be prevented to all road users due to ongoing changes in site conditions, reduced road wide due to earthworks, and safety of road workers and public. It is essential road users do not attempt to gain access through the sites during construction for your own safety.  

Following a previous physical assault on geotechnical staff reviewing the major slip on Tapu-Coroglen Road, we have now had reports of contractors’ staff clearing the slip at an adjacent site on the road being verbally abused and threatened. Details have been passed to the Police and we will be sharing any further incidents. There have also been repeated cases of traffic management signs being stolen from sites on the road, endangering the public and requiring their replacement. 

If you have any information regarding these events, please contact the Police quoting incident number #P055515021. All necessary measures are being taken to keep our contractors safe. Physical barriers are in place on the Coroglen end of the site, alongside private security guards after hours.

Northern Coromandel road repairs

 Colville local roads picture_edited.jpg

Colville Rd - 6.8km and 8.9km sites

  • The works contract for these sites has been awarded to Nick Pemberton Construction.
  • 6.8km site: Work is progressing. The backfill is 
  • 8.9km site: Work on a retaining wall began 20 November and will take approximately four weeks to complete.

Colville Rd Gabion Basket Walls

  • Four other sites on Colville Road have been sent to the market for pricing to provide additional support using Gabion Basket Walls.
  • Construction is expected to start in the New Year.

Colville Rd 16.2km site

  • On TenderLink and GETS. Tender closes Friday 8 December.

Colville Rd RP 7.9km, 7.8km and 8.7km sites

  • Out for pricing via the prequalified suppliers list. Closes Tuesday 12 December.

Colville Rd 15km (near Waitete Bay Rd Intersection)

  • Drawings being finalised. Will be tendered via GETS and TenderLink in the New Year. Will require rolling road closures. Discussions have started with residents.

Kennedy Bay Rd

  • 4.8km site: Contract has been awarded to Nicholls and Uttinger Civil. Work has begun and is expected to be completed by 31 January 2024.

For the following three sites, traffic management will be in place, including speed restrictions and traffic lights. Expect delays of up to 15 minutes during work hours (7am to 7pm Monday – Saturday).

  • 1.1km slip site: Construction period 11-15 December.
  • 3.5km, slip repairs period: 4-8 December
  • 5.1km slip site will be tendered in the New Year.

Kennedy Bay 24 Nov to 15 Dec.png

SH25A Rebuild (Waka Kotahi NZTA)

 SH25A.png

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has confirmed that State Highway 25A between Kōpū and Hikuai will be re-open to traffic in time for Christmas, by Wednesday 20 December – three months earlier than anticipated. 

With finishing works still ongoing, the bridge will open under traffic management at a reduced speed. The project team will be completing drainage and planting, so the project won’t be fully complete for a few more months. This work won’t require the road to be closed, though traffic management will be required from time to time.

The cost of the bridge, once everything is finished, is expected to be approximately $43m, under the $50m estimate.

“Our team has done an amazing job, not only constructing the new bridge in record time, but at the same time we’ve invested an additional $25m to enable multiple crews to clear slips, replace the original undersized culvert, and undertake crucial road maintenance work along the rest of the length of SH25A to ensure the whole corridor is up to scratch, safe and more resilient.

“Getting this maintenance work completed now also means we can avoid further work and disruption for drivers during the busy summer period,” Ms Wilton says.

Ms Wilton says while there is still a lot of work to do to finish the bridge by Christmas, 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 the impact it’s had on visitors to the region. That’s why, along with our builders, McConnell Dowell and Fulton Hogan JV, we’ve pulled out all the stops to deliver the fastest and most resilient solution for the Coromandel.

The bridge was built in record time by accelerating the work programme, with teams working 24-hour shifts both on-site and offsite at Eastbridge in Napier, where the steel girders were manufactured.

They used an existing bridge design and repurposed steel plates which had been purchased for the Minden bridge on Tauranga’s Takitimu North Link project, meaning they didn’t have a lengthy wait for steel to come in from overseas.

“We’d like to thank everyone who is working so hard to get this bridge open by Christmas and our special thanks to the Coromandel community for their patience and support. We know it’s been a tough year and we hope this new bridge is the gift that helps get the Peninsula back on its feet,” Ms Wilton says.

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with: 

State highway maintenance and recovery work (Waka Kotahi)

The next two months will see Waka Kotahi NZTA's contractors undertaking a flurry of chipsealing and asphalt surfacing across the Waikato, alongside the larger infrastructure projects. This contributes to improving the condition of the state highway network, resulting in smoother journeys for all.

Work has been planned to minimise delays, but given the volume of work, there are few sections of the network where people won’t experience some sort of disruption. It’s important during the summer months to factor in extra time to your journey, to ensure you arrive on time to your destination.

The Waka Kotahi Journey Planner (journeys.nzta.govt.nz) is the best place for information on the status of the state highway network. With live updates on worksites and other road hazards, Journey Planner can help road users plot the best route to their destination.

Works underway or about to start include:

· SH25 Thames:  Overnight road resurfacing on SH25, south of the Goldfields shopping centre for two weeks began on Sunday 29 October. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, and from time-to-time side roads will be closed so we can finish the work as quickly as possible. The affected side roads include Willoughby Street, Richmond Street and Sealey Street, access for residents will be provided from Pollen Street. Access to Richmond Street West will be maintained at all times.

· SH26 Puriri: work to repair the road pavement will start on Monday 6 November at a site south of Kopu, near Puriri.  The work is expected to be completed within two weeks and will be undertaken using stop/go traffic management.

· SH2 Maramarua: Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place from Monday 30 October to Thursday 2 November, between 9pm and 5am each night.


Cyclone recovery/reinstatement road works and expected timings

Below is our list of the 28 priority sites scheduled for work in this 2023/24 financial year plus 30 other sites scheduled for post-June 2024, available in a table. Our interactive map locates the 28 priority sites for this financial year.

Works and expected timings table

* expected solution = investigation and design will confirm options, investigations are at various stages of completion.
** sites marked TBC = treatment options are being considered to confirm the optimal solution.
*** The numbers next to each site name indicate the distance in kilometres from the beginning of the road.

Site Number 

 Site Name

Storm Event

 Expected Solution

 Expected Completion

 Status

1 Tapu Coroglen Rd 10.23 Jan-23 Earth wall & Timber wall Pre-Christmas Construction
2 Tapu Coroglen Rd 13.2 Jan-23 Earth wall Pre-Christmas Construction
3 Tapu Coroglen Rd 15.9 Jan-23 Road Retreat Pre-Christmas Construction
4 Black Jack Rd 1.96 Feb-23 Earth wall Pre-Christmas Construction
5 Black Jack Rd 1.657 Feb-23 Timber wall Post-Christmas Construction
6 The 309 Rd 3.166 Jan-23 Rock wall Pre-Christmas Drawings being compiled
7 Colville Rd 16.175 Oct-22 Steel wall Post-Christmas Pricing
8 Colville Rd 15.070 Feb-23 Steel wall Post-Christmas Drawings being compiled
9 Colville Rd 4.799 Jan-23 Wall (TBC) Post-Christmas Drawings being compiled
10 Colville Rd 7.951 Jan-23 Wall (TBC) Pre-Christmas Drawings being compiled
11 Colville Rd 15.904 Jan-23 Wall (TBC) Post-Christmas Drawings being compiled
12 Kennedy Bay Rd 1.121 Jul-22 Gabion baskets Pre-Christmas Construction
13 Kennedy Bay Rd 3.461 Jul-22 Gabion baskets Pre-Christmas Construction
14 Kennedy Bay Rd 4.830 Jul-22 Gabion baskets Pre-Christmas Construction
15 Kennedy Bay Rd 5.144 Feb-23 Shoulder reconstruction Pre-Christmas Drawings being compiled
16 Kennedy Bay Rd 5.840 Feb-23 Extend wall Pre-Christmas Drawings being compiled
17 Kennedy Bay Rd 7.346 Jul-22 Road Retreat Pre-Christmas Drawings being compiled
18 Colville Rd 7.822 Feb-23 Wall (TBC) Post-Christmas Compiling Contract Documents
19 Colville Rd 7.892 Jul-22 Wall (TBC) Post-Christmas Compiling Contract Documents
20 Colville Rd 8.666 Jul-22 Rock wall Post-Christmas Compiling Contract Documents
21 Colville Rd 11.32 Feb-23 Gabion baskets Post-Christmas Pricing
22 Colville Rd 12.00 Feb-23 Gabion baskets Post-Christmas Pricing
23 Kennedy Bay Rd 0.55 Jan-23 Wall (TBC) Post-Christmas Drawings being compiled
24 Port Charles Rd 9.127 Dec-22 Wall (TBC) Post-Christmas Drawings being compiled
25 Port Charles Rd 10.620 Feb-23 Road Retreat Post-Christmas Drawings being compiled
26 Colville Rd 6.793 Jan-23 Earth wall Post-Christmas Construction
27 Colville Rd 8.879 Feb-23 Road reconstruction Post-Christmas Construction
28 Colville Rd 15.130 Feb-23 Gabion baskets Post-Christmas Pricing
29 Neavesville Rd 1.720 Feb-23 Rock Buttress Post June 2024 In design
30 Neavesville Rd 4.999 Jan-23 Working on preferred solution Post June 2024 In Investigation
31 Neavesville Rd 4.950 Feb-23 Working on preferred solution Post June 2024 In Investigation
32 Neavesville Rd 5.400 Feb-23 Working on preferred solution Post June 2024 In Investigation
33 Wharf Road, Colville 1.582 Nov-23 Rock Buttress Post June 2024 With Coastal Engineer
34 Wharf Rd 1.635 Feb-23 Rock Buttress Post June 2024 With Coastal Engineer
35 Wharf Rd 1.986 Feb-23 Rock Buttress Post June 2024 With Coastal Engineer
36 Colville Rd 25.9 Feb-23 Retaining Wall Post June 2024 In design
37 Colville Rd 8.957 Feb-23 Road relevelling Post June 2024 In Investigation
38 Colville Rd 11.1 Jan-23 Retaining Wall Post June 2024 Drawings being compiled
39 Colville Rd 17.366 Feb-23 Retaining Wall Post June 2024 Drawings being compiled
40 Colville Rd 7.062 Feb-23 Road relevelling Post June 2024 In design
41 Colville Rd 24.930 Feb-23 Rock Buttress Post June 2024 In Investigation
42 Port Jackson Road 18.8 Feb-23 Retaining Wall Post June 2024 In design
43 Grange Rd 0.571 Feb-23 Retaining Wall Post June 2024 Pricing
44 Woodroffe Rd 0.133 Feb-23 Rock Buttress Post June 2024 With Coastal Engineer
45 Hot Water Beach Rd 7.205 Jan-23 Earth Wall Post June 2024 Drawings being compiled
46 Rangihau Road 4.982 Feb-23 Wall (TBC) Post June 2024 In Investigation
47 Port Charles Rd 15.320 Jan-23 Gabion baskets Post June 2024 Drawings being compiled
48 Port Charles Rd 15.474 Jan-23 Gabion baskets Post June 2024 Drawings being compiled
49 Port Jackson Rd 7.480 Feb-23 Wall (TBC) Post June 2024 In design
50 Port Jackson Rd 18.300 Feb-23 Wall (TBC) Post June 2024 In design
51 Port Jackson Rd 22.020 Nov-23 Road retreat Post June 2024 In design
52 Port Jackson Rd 23.255 Feb-23 Bench and backfill Post June 2024 In design
53 Port Jackson Rd 24.570 Bench and backfill Post June 2024 In construction with maintenance Contractor
54 Port Jackson Road 24.777 Feb-23 Bench and backfill Post June 2024 In construction with maintenance Contractor
55 Purangi Road 11.108 Jan-23 Rock Buttress Post June 2024 With Coastal Engineer
56 Bluff Rd 1.066 Feb-23 Road Retreat Post June 2024 In design
57 Bluff Rd 1.321 Feb-23 Gabion Wall Post June 2024 In design
58 Bluff Rd 2.611 Feb-23 Reduced lane width Post June 2024 On hold

Works and expected timings interactive map

Open the Legend (by clicking the second icon from the right above the map) to see what the different coloured dots representing work sites mean. Click on a dot for information about the work taking place at that site and the expected completion.

  


State Highway Status

State Highways are controlled by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. Check their website for State Highway status updates. 

With work still underway at multiple sites along SH25, it's important that motorists drive to the conditions.

To keep contractors and road users safe, signage is in place to give advance warning of worksites and potential hazards such as slippery or uneven surfaces. Please follow any temporary speed restrictions and reduce your speed as you approach these sites.

Check Waka Kotahi's website or Facebook page for the latest updates.

Safer speeds introduced for State Highway 25

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has introduced temporary speed limit changes to sections of State Highway 25 to make the road safer while State Highway 25A is closed. Waka Kotahi is making these changes to ensure speed limits fit the current use and conditions of the road.

New speeds of 50kmh, 60kmh and 80kmh have been implemented primarily through the many small communities and along the narrow and winding coastal sections between Thames and Coromandel.

On the east coast, two new reduced speed zones have been introduced at Coroglen and Te Rerenga, and existing reduced speed zones have been lowered at Kōpū, Kūaotunu, Wharekaho and Whangamatā.

New signage is now installed. The temporary speed reductions will be removed once the bridge reconnecting SH25A is open.

Read more


See any road safety issues?

If you see anything on our local roads, let us know on 07 868 0200 or email customer.services@tcdc.govt.nz. For State Highways, contact 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).

We will keep you informed here and on our Facebook page of any road closures. For State Highways under Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency's control, keep an eye on their website.
 
Keep up to date with the latest roading news by signing up to our Council's newsletter. Visit tcdc.govt.nz/subscribe