A bridge will be the fastest, most resilient way to repair the gaping hole in State Highway 25A, the Government has announced, and it will commit the funding straight away.
The highway was severely damaged during Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods.
Transport Minister Michael Woods said in Thames this week the road has historically presented significant challenges from its opening in 1967 when there was a slip at the summit road after significant rain.
Wood described the road as a “lifeline” for people who cross the peninsula for work or school.
”Increased travel time and cost is causing huge disruption: 3700 vehicles a day use the road for business, tourism, freight, school children and access to health services. It’s a reminder that transport helps our community to work and the significant extra travel time makes things much much harder.”
The minister said he was in the Coromandel “to provide certainty to those people” and bring a message from the Government that they “must think differently about how we deal with these risks to our transport system” by building a reliant network.
Wood said rebuild costs were still being finalised, but the estimated cost was between $30 million and $40m. Money will come from the Government’s $250m top-up to the National Land Transport Programme fund, set up to support the recovery.
Construction will begin next month and Wood estimated it would be finished early next year. He added the Government would be exploring seven-day work weeks and will be working “around the clock” to get the highway open as soon as possible.
“A dedicated team of project managers and consulting engineers have been working tirelessly to find a solution. Time is of the essence with this project,” Wood said.
Wood also said the Tapu-Coroglen Rd will open to light vehicles next month, providing more connectivity across the peninsula. He was also working with local government and communities to develop economic support for businesses that rely on SH25A.
The Government has already supported 400 businesses with grants up to $40,000 and provided tax relief for affected businesses, Wood said.
NZTA general manager Brett Gliddon said the bridge will be the most resilient option against the region’s harsh weather.
The bridge will be built by a New Zealand-based company to the latest design standards, Gliddon said. Bridges damaged after recent bad weather on the east coast are old and not as resilient. He said challenges of the project include slips and water still running through the collapsed areas of the road.
The bridge can be partially constructed offsite, which will protect it against bad weather that may affect the area of the highway in the near future.
“We will look to do as much work as we can while the road’s closed,” Gliddon said.
Thames-Coromandel Mayor Len Salt said a target date of 2024 will give the community some reassurance.
“The loss of a vital connection has caused immeasurable harm” to the way the community operates, Salt said, adding that the rebuild was “just the beginning. Our district has struggled for decades with underinvestment - that needs to change.”
Salt also aimed pointed remarks at members of the Coromandel community who have questioned the time taken for the bridge option to be implemented, saying: “Some have been vocal in their criticism of the work done and the time taken, and ... claim to have legitimate solutions using bulldozers off the farm or overseas contractors. We have explored every possible option, and I have every confidence in the process.
“I understand the frustration and pain of people in the community. We have relayed our concerns to the Government, and continue to work on solutions for those most affected.”
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said earlier that geotechnical investigations were progressing well at the site of the huge slip that closed the road. Two drilling rigs were on-site and the fieldwork is scheduled to be completed this week but is weather-dependent. The surface conditions remain steep and slippery for the work crews.
- additional reporting by NZ Herald staff