Road to close on key Waikato-Bay of Plenty route

SH29 between Tauranga and Hamilton will be closed overnight at certain times over the next four months.

State Highway 29 over the Kaimai Range will be regularly closed overnight in the coming months to allow for essential maintenance.

Previously, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has used single-direction closures to allow traffic to flow, mainly to cater for freight movements to and from the Port of Tauranga.

Following engagement with the port, freight operators and emergency service providers, NZTA acting regional manager of maintenance and operations, Roger Brady, has confirmed a series of full road closures will now be used to carry out the maintenance in a more effective manner.

The road provides a key link between the country’s largest port and the so-called “Golden Triangle” of Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, Brady said.

“Around 14,000 vehicles use this road every day, including several thousand heavy vehicles. It is critical that we are able to maintain SH29 to ensure the route is safe and accessible for all road users.

“We’ve collaborated with freight operators and roading contractors to confirm days and times that work best for everybody. By locking in a schedule, regular road users, including freight operators, can make plans in advance to minimise the disruption to themselves and their customers.”

The detours for the closure are significant and will add considerable time to journeys. People are encouraged to check NZTA’s Journey Planner and allow extra time for their journey, or delay travel over SH29 on the nights affected.

“This is a new way of working for preventative maintenance and road renewals across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty region. If successful, we will look to use this approach in other areas across our network,” Brady said.

“We’d like to thank our stakeholders and partners for working with us on this. While disruptive in the short term, everyone will enjoy the benefits of having a more reliable and safer route over the Kaimai Range.”

The timetable of works below is current as at the time of printing. Closures may be rescheduled in the event of bad weather.

Closure times

February 25-29, five nights: 8pm – 4.30am

March 17-21, five nights: 8pm-3.30am

May 19-22, four nights: 8pm-3.30am

July 14-17, four nights: 8pm-3.30am

Alternative routes

South: All vehicles - SH28, SH5, SH30, SH33, SH2 via Rotorua

South: Light vehicles - SH28, SH5, SH36 via Rotorua

North: SH24, SH27, SH26, SH2 via Karangahake Gorge

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