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The Hikuai River Bridge will shut down traffic overnight for a month in October and November, but it will be open during the day with a 10 km/h speed limit.
If a major Coromandel Bridge is closed overnight, locals can take a loop across the peninsula if they don’t plan their trip.
The Hikuai River Bridge on State Highway 25, south of Tairua, will require a deck replacement and work around the bridge is likely to begin in early to mid-October.
The bridge, between the Tairua and Pauanui exit, will be closed from October 25, Sunday through Thursday, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for an expected period of up to four weeks.
The only alternate route for drivers driving at night would be SH 25 and 25A – along the east coast, then back over and along the peninsula.
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A VEHICLE
The Hikuai River Bridge is located on SH25, 10 kilometers south of Tairua.
During the day the bridge is open with temporary traffic control and a speed limit of 10 km/h.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Waikato system manager Cara Lauder said the bridge closure was necessary while maintenance work is being carried out.
She acknowledged that the closure would be disruptive, but was necessary to keep the bridge open and safe for all traffic.
Lauder advised motorists to travel during the day to avoid being diverted during the nighttime closures whenever possible.
“We hope that by carrying out this work in the evenings, we can limit the inconvenience to local residents and road users as much as possible.
“This bridge is often thought to be a Bailey bridge (a temporary portable prefabricated truss bridge), but it is a Standard Steel Truss (SST) bridge originally designed and built by the Ministry of Works. The existing wooden deck of this bridge has reached the end of its life and needs to be replaced to keep the bridge in a safe and healthy condition for road users.”
Last year, the bridge was closed between November 25 and December 2 while steel plates were bolted to the deck.