State Highway 29 from Tauriko to the summit of the Kaimai Range is a key corridor and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is focused on strengthening it this summer, so it remains safe and reliable and meets the needs of everyone who uses it.

Between now and May 2026, there are five sites on the Bay of Plenty side of the Kaimai Range where the road will be rebuilt and resurfaced and one on the Waikato side.

A significant rebuild is currently underway of around 1.5 kilometres of SH29 near Valley View Rd. Once the work is finished, drivers can look forward to a safer, smoother drive along this stretch of state highway.

As well as the road rebuild, SH29 Kaimai Range will close for 5 nights, from Sunday 30 November to Thursday 4 December, between 7.30pm and 4am each night (reopening early Friday morning).

These closures are necessary to complete urgent scaling works on the Ruahihi Bluffs near the Ruahihi Power Station. This work will involve abseilers working above the road to dislodge vegetation and rocks from the top and faces of the bluffs.

NZTA is taking full advantage of the closures to undertake other work at multiple sites along the state highway. This includes structural asphalt rehabilitation, chipseal resurfacing, localised drainage works, road marking and surface repairs at numerous sites along the highway. 

Further east the Tauriko Enabling Works remain ongoing between Belk and Cambridge roads.

Roadworks may be postponed due to rain or other factors that disrupt the weekly schedule. Check the NZTA Journey Planner for the latest travel information and journey times before starting your journey: journeys.nzta.govt.nz

Bay of Plenty

Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty

SH29 Tauranga to Hamilton: Due to the number of worksites on SH29 between Tauriko and lower Kaimai Range, please allow up to 20 minutes extra time for travel.

Work starting thisweek

• SH2 near Te Mania Bridge (by Claymark Sawmill): For 5 nights, from Sunday 16 November between 7pm and 5am, there will be overnight resurfacing works at the Te Mania Bridge. There will be a lane closure and stop/go traffic management in place. Occasionally traffic may be stopped at both ends to allow for truck movements. Day time speed restrictions will be in place.
• SH29 Tauriko, Belk Road to Redwood Lane: Work is continuing on the construction of a new central traffic island on the Hamilton side of the SH29/Redwood Lane roundabout, with a lane shift and reduced speed limit of 30km/h. On Saturday 15 November the new Kaweroa Drive leg of the SH29/Redwood Lane roundabout will open to traffic. The roundabout will remain in a temporary layout with one lane in each direction for the remainder of the year. People are encouraged to drive carefully through the area as people adjust to the new road layout. More information.
   
• SH29/Cambridge Road to Tauriko Village: Night works are planned for Sunday 16 November, between 6pm and 6am, to extend safety barriers on the westbound lane (towards Hamilton), from the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection towards Tauriko Village. A 3-way stop/go operation and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h will be in place on SH29 and Cambridge Road during this time. Further night works will occur from Monday 17 November, between 6pm to 6am, for 4 nights to install new watermain pipes across Cambridge Road. A 2-way stop/go operation and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h will be in place from all approaches to the SH29/ Cambridge Road intersection during this time.
   
• Pyes Pā Road/Cheyne Road: Tauranga City Council will be conducting night works to resurface parts of Pyes Pā Road and Cheyne Road, between the SH29A roundabout and Braithwaite Lane, from Sunday 16 November to Thursday 27 November. More Information.

Work starting soon

• SH29 Kaimai Range - closure: The Kaimai Range will close for 5 nights, from Sunday 30 November to Thursday 4 December, between 7.30pm and 4am each night (reopening early Friday morning). These closures are necessary to complete urgent rock scaling works on the Ruahihi Bluffs, along with routine maintenance, including drain clearing, and road marking and surfacing. Further closure details and more information on access and detours will be provided in the coming week.
   
• SH29 Tauriko: Starting Monday 24 November, for 4 weeks, watermain installation works will be underway along the eastbound side of Cambridge Road, from 579 Cambridge Road towards Bethlehem. An off-peak, 9am to 3pm, stop/go operation and a reduced speed limit of 30km/h will be in place. Night works on Thursday 27 November, 6pm to 6am, will follow to remove redundant streetlights. A 3-way stop/go and reduced speed limit of 30km/h will be in place at the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection. More information.  

Work underway

• SH36 near TECT Park (Tauranga Direct Road): A road rebuild is underway from Sunday 9 November until Thursday 27 November between 6am and 6pm near TECT park on SH36. There will be lane closures with stop/go traffic management and a reduced speed limit in place. Minor delays are to be expected.
• SH2 Rogers Road, Pukehina: A road rebuild is due to finish mid-December. From Monday 10 November a 24hr stop/go traffic management system and reduced speed limit throughout the site has been underway to protect the pavement surface. The site is approximately 650 metres west of Rogers Road and continues on SH2 for 1.3 kilometres. More information.
• SH29 Lower Kaimai: A 1.5km section of SH29 near Valley View Road is undergoing a full rebuild, with temporary traffic management and reduced speed limits in place until early 2026. The passing lane near Valley View Road remains closed for the duration of the works. Work is scheduled Monday to Friday, with traffic management set up by 7am. Between 8am and 5pm, a contraflow system will be in place, allowing traffic in both directions. Overnight Sunday to Thursday, from 7pm to 6am, contraflow will be removed and traffic will operate under stop/go. Weekends will see both lanes open and no work scheduled. Due to the scale and duration of the project, delays are expected. More information.
• SH29 near Ōmanawa Road: Service relocation work is underway near Ōmanawa Bridge. A temporary speed restriction and contraflow system allowing traffic in both directions will be in place from just west of the Ōmanawa Road intersection to Ōmanawa Bridge. This work is expected to take 4 to 6 weeks to complete and part of the Ōmanawa Bridge replacement project.
• SH29 Takitimu Drive Toll Road: A reduced speed limit of 70km/h remains in place while crews are working behind the barriers on the construction of a flyover bridge and southbound slip lane works for the Takitimu North Link project. Traffic is anticipated to be diverted onto the flyover bridge and southbound slip lane in the next year while works continue. More information.
• SH2/Fifteenth Ave: One lane at SH2/Fifteenth Ave near Edgecumbe Road is closed while the new connection to SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Road takes place, this is likely to remain in place until mid-2026. Bridge beams will be lifted into place this Saturday 15 November from 5.30am to 12pm from Takitimu Drive (right next to the construction site area.) A lane closure will be in place during this work. More information.   
• SH2/Pahoia/Esdaile intersection: Road widening works are underway at this intersection. Speed restrictions and intermittent stop/go traffic management will be in place, which may result in longer delays.
• SH2/Apata Station Road roundabout: Road construction continues for the new roundabout with a temporary speed limit in place.
• SH2 Ōmokoroa Road intersection upgrade: Road construction and service relocation works are underway in preparation for the new roundabout. Speed restrictions and intermittent stop/go traffic management will be in place during the day, which may result in longer delays. Road construction work continues on SH2, south of the roundabout overnight. A stop/go operation will be in place – expect delays overnight. More information.
• Wairoa Road: The area around the Wairoa Road overbridge is under stop/go traffic management, weekdays between 7.30am and 6pm, for road construction. This work is due for completion on Friday 28 November. 
• Minden Road North: Between the new roundabout and the Te Puna shops will be under stop/go traffic management, weekdays between 7.30am and 6pm. Road widening, drainage and pavements works continue with traffic management in place. This work is ongoing and will be in place until early in 2026. 
• SH2 Whakamārama, Te Puna: A programme of ground investigations is underway through to December, on key sites near Snodgrass, Ainsworth, Te Puna Quarry and Munro roads, Gill Lane and near Oturu and Te Puna streams. People travelling through this area may notice these activities alongside SH2, which are part of the Takitimu North Link Stage 2 project.

Rotorua

Work starting next week

• SH30A Amohau Street, Rotorua: Starting from 8am Sunday 16 November to 5.30pm Friday 12 December the full width of SH30A will be rebuilt (all 4 lanes), between Te Ngae Road and Fenton Street. While this work is underway the road will be closed on SH30 Amohau Street, between Te Ngae Road and Fenton Street. Crews will be working Monday to Saturday 24 hours a day to ensure the work is completed quickly and safely. More information.

Work starting soon

• SH30 Rotomā: Starting soon between the SH33/SH30 Te Ngae roundabout and the SH30/SH34 intersection are a number of chipseal worksites. Work will take place between 8am and 6pm with stop/go traffic management and a reduced speed limit.

Work underway

• SH33 Ōkere Falls: A road rebuild is underway between Ōkere Falls and Whangamarino School and is expected to finish Friday 5 December. On weekdays, between 6am to 5pm, there will be lane closures between Hamurana Road and Ōkere Falls Road. Stop/go traffic management with speed restrictions will be in place for the duration of the work.
• SH5/SH28 Harwoods Road: Construction of a roundabout at this intersection east of Tīrau is underway. Traffic is being managed through the site with speed restrictions but there will be a closure of SH28 at the worksite from Thursday 13 November to Wednesday 17 December. There will be a detour available via SH27 and SH29. Traffic will be on the new roundabout in March 2026. More information.

Eastern Bay of Plenty

Work underway

• SH2/Wainui Road, Matekerepu, near Ōpōtiki: A 3-way stop/go traffic management system is in place at the intersection. While work continues on the new road surface, longer delays may be experienced, and people are encouraged to wash their cars after travelling through the site in case of concrete splashes. The 3-way stop/go is in place until Thursday 18 December. During peak hours, 7.30am to 9am and 3.30pm to 5pm, stop/go will be controlled manually so traffic can be managed according to real traffic queues and to reduce disruption. Outside of peak hours, traffic will be controlled using automatic traffic lights. The roundabout is now partially open to traffic and is expected to be completed by April 2026. More information.
• SH2 Waimana Gorge, southeast of Tāneatua: Work is underway to repair an underslip. Due to the narrow nature of the site, the road is down to one lane and under 24-hour stop/go traffic management with traffic lights.
• SH2 Waioweka Gorge: Repair work is underway in the Waioweka Gorge near Ōpōnae. Stop/go traffic management is currently in place. We expect to finish the main physical works before the Christmas break with some smaller tasks continuing into 2026.
• SH35 Tōrere: Stop/go traffic management is in place for slip repairs underway near Te Kura O Tōrere east of Ōpōtiki. Work is due to be wrapped up late in December. More information.

Waikato

Thames-Coromandel

Work underway

• SH25 Kūaotunu: Underslip repairs are underway and Kūaotunu Hill is reduced to a single lane. While work is ongoing the road is expected to remain open with lane shifts, however some short-term closures may be needed. Traffic management and speed restrictions are in place. The repairs are due to be completed in December.
• SH25 Whangamatā: Repairs to a bridge on the outskirts of Whangamatā mean a closure and short detour is now in place until about Tuesday 9 December. Urgent deck work is needed on the Moana Anu Anu Bridge (also known as the Wentworth Bridge) on SH25. The bridge closed to all traffic, including pedestrians and cyclists, on Wednesday 29 October. The closure runs 24/7. The detour through Whangamatā uses Mayfair Avenue and Martyn Road, due to council watermain works on the usual detour route via Port Road and Hetherington Road. The detour adds a few minutes to normal journey times.
• SH25A Kōpū Hikuai Road - closure: Daytime closures are in place on SH25A for 2 weeks for a major road rebuild. The work started on Monday 10 November and runs until approximately Friday 21 November, with the road closed between 8am to 5pm Monday to Saturday. The closure points are SH26/SH25A at Kōpū and SH25/SH25A at Hikuai. All traffic through the closure points by 8am will get through before the daily closure. The road reopens to a single lane and stop/go each evening from 5pm and on Sunday 16 November. Critical services such as first responders and school buses will be escorted through the site during the day. All other vehicles need to take the SH25/SH2/SH26 detour which adds an hour to the travel time. More information.

East Waikato

SH29 Hamilton to Tauranga: Due to the number of worksites on SH29 between lower Kaimai Range and Tauriko, please allow up to 20 minutes extra time for travel.

West Waikato

Work underway

• SH30 east of Bennydale (2 worksites): Two road rebuilds are kicking off in November, the first started on 3 November with drainage works, followed by a road rebuild with a completion date of Friday 5 December. The second worksite is due to start Monday 17 November with shoulder and drainage works taking 2 to 3 weeks, followed by the road rebuild taking 2 weeks - completion expected mid-December. There will be stop/go traffic management and a reduced speed limit on both worksites. Work will take place between 7am and 7pm each day with stop/go traffic management remaining in place overnight.

South Waikato

Work starting next week

• SH30 Whakamaru Dam:  SH30 across the Whakamaru Dam will be closed during the day from Monday 17 November to Friday 21 November from 8am to 7pm. The detour from Whakamaru during these times is via SH32, Piohipi Road, Tirohanga Road, SH1 and vice versa. School buses will be able to get across the dam before 8am but will need to use the northbound detour to return to Whakamaru or Mangakino in the afternoons.

Work underway

• SH1 Tokoroa to Ātiamuri: Overnight work continues at the northern sites on SH1 from the SH1/SH32 intersection at Tokoroa to the SH1 Kinleith intersection.  SH1 will be closed overnight between 7pm and 6am. Traffic detours from SH1 down SH32, Old Taupō Road, Kinleith Road and back onto SH1. This detour adds approximately 5km and 5 minutes to travel time. 
• SH5 east of Tīrau: Road widening between SH28 Whites Road and Waimakariri Road to allow for the installation of wide centrelines continues until Monday 15 December. Traffic is being managed through the site under speed restrictions with some stop/go. More information.
• SH1/SH5 Taupō: A Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre is under construction at the SH1/SH5 roundabout. The in-road weigh-in-motion scales on the 5 roads heading towards the safety centre have been installed. Work on camera technology and electronic sign boards is progressing. Work in the lanes has largely finished, apart from an occasional lane closure for a day, but continues on the road shoulders. More information.
• SH5/SH28 Harwoods Road: Construction of a roundabout at this intersection east of Tīrau is underway. Traffic is being managed through the site with speed restrictions but there will be a closure of SH28 at the worksite from Thursday 13 November to Wednesday 17 December. There will be a detour available via SH27 and SH29. Traffic will be on the new roundabout in March 2026. More information.
• SH1 Taupō to Tūrangi:

SH1 Waitahanui: Overnight stop/go is in place at Waitahanui for asphalting. Work is between 7pm and 6am. There are temporary speed limits in place during the day. Usual hours at 7pm to 6am Sunday to Thursday. We have lost several shifts because of poor weather so crews will be working this Friday. Stop/go will be in place at Waitahanui from 7pm, Friday 14 November, until 6am, Saturday 15 November. Work hours will then resume as normal (weather dependent). Please prepare for some delays in this area while work is happening.

North Waikato

Work starting next week

• SH1 near Mercer: There will be full closures in both directions between Mercer Ferry Road and Hall Road, including Koheroa Road overbridge from Sunday 16 November to Tuesday 18 November between 9pm and 5am. During this time all on and off-ramps at Mercer will remain open but traffic will not be able to travel across the overbridge. To travel to and from the township the following detour will be in place

To travel eastbound across Koheroa Road overbridge (away from the township), use SH1 Mercer northbound on-ramp and turn around at Pioneer Road southbound on-ramp to travel south. You can exit at Mercer to access the township (travel time 7 mins).

To travel westbound across Koheroa Road overbridge (towards the township), take SH1 Mercer southbound on-ramp and please travel south on SH1 and turn around at Hampton Downs. You can exit at Mercer to access Koheroa Road (travel time 13 mins). 

• SH2 Maramarua: Stop/go traffic management will be in place for 3 road closures between 9pm and 5am each night.

Between Ferndale Road and Monument Road on Sunday 16 November and Monday 17 November.

Between Pendergrast Road and Pinnacle Hill Road on Monday 17 November and Tuesday 18 November.

Between Rawiri Road intersection and Kopuku Road from Sunday 16 November to Wednesday 19 November.

Tairāwhiti Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay

• SH5 Napier to Taupō: Recovery alliance Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) continues to progress safety improvements, as well as repair, recovery and maintenance activities at multiple sites on SH5 between Eskdale and Waipunga. More information.

Taranaki

• SH3 Tongapōrutu: Work to install a retaining wall is underway to reinstate SH3 Tongapōrutu to 2 lanes. The road was reduced to a single lane since wet weather further damaged an underslip on the northbound lane in October. The site is being managed under stop/go traffic controls with delays of approximately 5 to 10 minutes and is expected to be complete by mid-to-late December. 
• SH3 Mangaotaki: Crews have built a retaining wall and have begun installing anchors to build the new face at SH3 at Mangaotaki, where an underslip damaged the road. Work started on Monday 20 October and continues for approximately 6-7 weeks (weather permitting). The site is being run under 24/7 stop/go traffic controls with delays of approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
• SH3 Awakino: Work is underway to repair an underslip caused by wet weather in October and is expected to take 4 to 5 weeks to complete, with a finish date in early December.
  Crews are installing a rock retaining wall on the northbound side of the road to reinstate it to 2 lanes. The site is being managed under 24/7 stop/go traffic controls with delays of approximately 5 to 10 minutes. 

The above information is accurate at the time of release. Many of the above works are dependent on a number of factors, particularly weather, and may be postponed at short notice. For up-to-date information on road works, traffic, detours and delays, motorists are encouraged to visit the NZTA Journey Planner website journeys.nzta.govt.nz.

NZTA thanks motorists for their patience while we complete this essential work to keep the state highway network safe, accessible and resilient.  

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