Tairua PEPE STREAM BRIDGE REPLACEMENT NEWS

The following information is provided via New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). Information may be subject to change, and the most up to date project status information can be viewed on the  NZTA Waka Kotahi website. 

COROMANDEL STATE HIGHWAY NETWORK UPDATE NZTA UPDATE 17 JUNE 2026

Piling for Pepe project from mid-July

As the Pepe Stream Bridge replacement rolls into full construction piling will get underway for the new 2-lane bridge from mid-July to early September.

There will be noise and vibration during this piling work which will be carried out in 2 to 4-day periods. Piling will only be carried out during the day between 7am and 5pm Mondays to Saturdays.

Traffic flows over the bridge will not be disrupted.

The project team thank the Tairua community in advance for their patience.

Looking ahead at Pepe works

Service relocations including water, power and fibre continue and are the main focal point over the coming weeks as the project prepares for full construction to start in mid-July.

A temporary footpath will be built to connect to the temporary footbridge, and passers-by will also see crane pads taking shape leading up to the removal of the existing pedestrian bridge.

NZTA PEPE STREAM BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT UPDATE 24 APRIL 2026
 

Bridge Community Liaison Group update

Community involvement in the Pepe Stream Bridge replacement is important to the success of the project and the Community Liaison Group (CLG), who represent key Tairua community groups, met for the second time earlier this week.

The group is made up of members from the Tairua Business Association, Residents and Ratepayers, Community Board, Thames-Coromandel District Council, Tairua School, Walk Tairua, River Trail, Environmental Society and Pepe Road residents, along with the contractor Fulton Hogan and NZTA.

CLG attendees are expected to report back to and bring forward any queries or issues from their memberships and communities.

Pepe Stage 1 - What will you see on the ground?
Consents are expected to be granted for the project at the end of this month and enabling work will start in May, with full construction getting underway in mid-July.

Stage 1 of the project involves the construction of a temporary footbridge to the side of the current bridge and the relocation of services in the area.

Walking and vehicle access will be maintained across the bridge for the duration of the project but we will require some overnight closures for bridge piling work. More details below.

Once the temporary footbridge and relocation of services is complete, the project will move into full construction in mid-July.

This will include the establishment of cranes on site, the demolition of the old footbridge and building of the new southbound lane.

Once the new lane is in place, stage 2 will see the old bridge demolished, and the new northbound lane will be constructed.

The project is expected to be completed in late 2027.

Pepe night closures ahead for May piling

Piling for the temporary footbridge requires the road bridge to be closed overnight for 2 work weeks in May. But the road will be open to traffic on the hour up until midnight, then every 2 hours.

The piling work will cause some noise and vibration over this 2-week period.

The dates are Tuesday 12 May to Thursday 14 May and Monday to Thursday 18-21 May. Work hours: 7pm-6am.

The SH25 bridge will open on the hour for 5 minutes at 8pm, 9pm, 10pm then 12 midnight, 2am and 4am. Timings are task-dependent so may be between 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after the hour. Emergency vehicle will have priority.

The project team thank you in advance for your patience and for any inconvenience this may cause.

Pepe: What’s happening at the Tairua Hall?

One of the challenges we face building the new Pepe Stream Bridge is working within the confined space. We’re hemmed in by the coastal estuary and cliffs and working in a built-up urban environment.

To get the job done with the least disruption, on time and safely, our contractors Fulton Hogan are using the community hall and car park for the construction base and “laydown” area for materials and machinery.

We acknowledge this is disruptive for users of the hall and we have worked with the Thames-Coromandel District Council and the Tairua Community Hall Society to enable its use.

Hall Society president Gary Healey told the Community Liaison Group meeting this week that all hall users have now been accommodated in alternative venues around Tairua ahead of the start of enabling works on Monday11 May.

The project team appreciate the flexibility and understanding that allows us to use this space which is critical to the project.

Using other venues across the area has provided economic benefits to those venues, and the project is making sure no group is out of pocket.

Info board goes up at Pepe site

As construction of the new bridge over Tairua’s Pepe Stream gets underway soon, passers-by can find out all the details on an information board in town, beside the walkway.