An artist's impression of what Kāeo's two-lane bridge will look like, one day. Image / Waka Kotahi
Kāeo is still waiting for the two-lane bridge over the Kāeo River that it was promised by a by-election-campaigning National government in 2015. It's coming, according to Waka Kotahi NZTA, which says it will a start date soon.
Two new two-lane bridges, of the 10 promised by National, have been
built at Taipā and Matakohe since 2015, but little progress, bar some geotechnical work, has been visible at Kāeo.
The $22 million project includes a two-way bridge, with the eastern end shifted slightly south of the current bridge, and a roundabout at the intersection of SH10 and Whangaroa Rd.
A Waka Kotahi spokesperson said preparations for the bridge, which included relocating underground utilities, had begun, but a construction contract had not yet been awarded, so details such as cost, start and completion dates were not yet known.
According to its website earlier this month it said the Covid-19 pandemic and other factors had increased the costs of materials and it was making adjustments to the budget and the scope of the project. Those challenges had delayed the intended starting date, which would be announced soon, but would make the project more robust in the long run.
