State Highway 29 over the Kaimai Range will be closed for periods overnight for asphalt resurfacing soon.

Work will start on Sunday, December 10, and will take five days to complete. It will be undertaken using night-time one-way closures, and people will need to take alternative routes if they wish to travel between the regions.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency appreciates the overnight closures of the key route between the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato regions, will be disruptive.

Part of the annual summer road maintenance programme, the plan has been decided on following discussions with the freight industry and Port of Tauranga, who are key users of SH29 at night, says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Journey Manager for the Waikato, Liam Ryan.    

“As the detours for this closure are significant, and will add considerable time to journeys, motorists are encouraged to check the Journey Planner (journeys.nzta.govt.nz) and allow extra time for their journey, or if possible, delay travel over SH29.   

“We are undertaking the work at night to minimise the overall impact on road users. We know that some people will be affected by this work, however it is critical that we complete the resurfacing this summer to keep this important route safe and accessible.”  

The recommended alternative route is SH2 through the Karangahake Gorge, as this will avoid the delays through the worksites on SH33, which is another alternative route that could be used.  

However, for High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMV) the best option is to stay on SH29 and co-ordinate your journey with the opening times through our worksites.  

There will be both full and partial closures to allow the vital maintenance work to take place while still allowing traffic, particularly trucks, to plan their journey across the Kaimai Range.  

“At set times, SH29 will open for a three-and-a-half-hour window to allow for traffic to pass through. During the three-and-a-half-hour period, the road will only open to one direction, switching to the other direction for the next three-and-a-half-hour window.” 

Residents and emergency services access will be maintained at all times, and residents should liaise with the traffic control teams on site. Motorists should also be aware that these works are weather dependent.  

During the closures vehicles will be held at the State Highway 24 and State Highway 28 intersection near Te Poi on the Waikato side, and at the intersection of SH29 and Cambridge Road on the Bay of Plenty side.

During the day the road will reopen to two lanes.   

On the eastern side of the Kaimai Range, contractors will be completing chipseal work between McLaren Falls Road and Kaimai School, commencing on Thursday, December 14, and continuing for five nights.

There will be a temporary speed limit in place of 30km/h while the works are taking place.

During this time, contractors will also carry out other maintenance focusing on drainage, replacing reflective markers and removing detritus build up on a number of bridges.  

Timetable for the night closures of SH29:

Alternative routes:

North: SH24, SH27, SH2 via Karangahake Gorge

South – light vehicles: SH28, SH5, SH36 via Rotorua

South – all vehicles: SH28, SH5, SH30, SH33, SH2 via Rotorua. Note there will be delays at other worksites on this route.