Coromandel traffic bottlenecks will continue despite bridge replacement project

National MP for Coromandel Scott Simpson (left) and Transport Minister Simeon Brown at Simpson's office in Thames on Saturday.

Tairua‘s 80-year-old one-lane Pepe Stream bridge at the south end of the town will be replaced with a two-lane structure, but the Government concedes there will still be bottlenecks at peak times, with another one-lane bridge 800 metres along State Highway 25 at the north end of the settlement.

The Pepe Stream bridge is one of nine priority bridges across the country to be replaced following an announcement by Transport Minister Simeon Brown on Saturday.

The National MP for Coromandel, Scott Simpson, said there would still be a problem with traffic congestion through the network “but not as big of a problem”.

Simpson said he had spoken with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) with regards to the Grahams Stream bridge at the north end of the town and been told it was not due for replacement.

“The trouble is, it’s still got a lot of life [left in it],” the MP said.

“The potential for a bottleneck is still there, it’s still going to be a problem but not as big of a problem.”

The Ramarama Stream Bridge, also on SH25, and the Ohinekaua Stream Bridge on SH27, both in the Coromandel, are also scheduled to be replaced, with all nine projects expected to begin in mid-2025 and be completed by mid-2027.

Speaking to the Hauraki-Coromandel Post on Saturday, Brown, who was in Thames to make the announcement, acknowledged there would be ongoing issues with bottlenecks throughout the SH25 network in the Coromandel.

“There is more work to be done; there is a lot of work to be done.”

The Transport Minister could not put a figure on what it would cost to replace the Pepe Stream bridge but said the combined cost of the nine projects across the country would be between $100 and $125 million.

The 80-year-old Pepe Stream bridge in Tairua.

“Visiting the Coromandel today, I understand the impact the current Pepe Stream bridge is having on the local community and motorists that are visiting Tairua,” Brown said.

“At 81 years old, the single-lane bridge is a bottleneck, with severe congestion experienced during holiday periods; times have changed but the bridge has not, it continually holds up traffic.”

Simpson said: “When we fix Pepe Stream, logic tells you the bottleneck will move further north.”

However, “one bridge is better than no bridge,” he said.

“The nature with one-lane bridges is there will always be a summer peak.

“Let’s be positive; I will continue to lobby the minister and NZTA to fix one-lane bridges in our region.”

Final funding decisions from the national land transport fund for the projects would be confirmed when the NZTA board adopted the national land transport programme later this year.

“I have no doubt residents and all those who holiday in our region will rejoice at this news,” Simpson said.

”The sight of long lines of vehicles navigating stop-go signs in the sweltering summer heat has become an unfortunate byproduct of our region’s popularity, not to mention the inconvenience that locals encounter on a day-to-day basis.

“Having a resilient roading network has always been crucial to the Coromandel Peninsula and the wider electorate.

“The development of these replacement bridges will be a significant boost to our region, particularly the two-way bridge at Pepe Stream.”

Representatives from the Walk Tairua Society, the Tairua Residents & Ratepayers’ Association, Ngāti Hei, the Thames Coromandel District Council and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi celebrate the opening of the new footbridge across Grahams Stream in November 2021. The one-lane bridge is pictured to the left.

Thames-Coromandel Mayor Len Salt welcomed the announcement, acknowledging the Pepe Stream bridge had been a problem area for years.

“This is great news; the bridge has been a bottleneck for summer visitors and locals at peak periods for many years now,” Salt said.

“At the height of summer, we’ve had traffic backed up for several hours in each direction.

“There are other one-lane bridges either side of Tairua that contribute to the congestion, but this particular bridge, right in the middle of Tairua, has been a problem for years, so we’re really looking forward to its replacement.”

Tairua-Pāuanui Community Board chairman Warwick Brooks also welcomed the announcement.

“The old bridge is no longer fit for purpose. Tairua is growing, and to have a one-lane bridge operating at one end of our commercial precinct is neither suitable for our town, and not particularly safe either,” Brooks said.

“I’m really happy to hear about the Government’s announcement.”

In a statement, Thames-Coromandel District Council confirmed Pepe Stream bridge was built in 1942 and was at the end of its lifespan.

NZTA regularly inspected and maintained the bridge and said it remained safe.

The agency began a business case to explore replacement options for the bridge for several years ago.