The replacement of Ōmanawa bridge, as part of the Tauriko West Road of National Significance project, is a priority for NZTA as SH29 is a critical national freight route and is key to the Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga triangle.
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The Ōmanawa Bridge replacement is part of the Tauriko West Road of National Significance project. It involves building a new bridge, realigning State Highway 29 (SH29) near the bridge, and making minor improvements to the SH29/Ōmanawa Road intersection. These changes will improve safety and make the highway more reliable and resilient.
SH29 Ōmanawa Bridge looking from Tauranga towards Hamilton. Artist impression.
As bridges age, we need to maintain and manage them more closely to ensure we continue to have a reliable and resilient state highway network. We will continue to monitor the existing bridge as we move through this process.
Over the years, we have carried out strengthening solutions for the existing bridge to ensure it remains reliable and reaches its intended lifespan (strengthening was last carried out in 2022).
SH29 looking from Hamilton towards Tauranga. Construction from late 2026. Artist impression.
As part of the bridge replacement project, we’re making minor upgrades to the Ōmanawa Road and SH29 intersection. This includes realigning the state highway with the new Ōmanawa Bridge, making turning movements safer and improving visibility. In the future, more extensive upgrades are proposed as part of the new SH29 Tauriko West project.
As part of the minor intersection upgrades we’re:
Construction of the new bridge is expected to begin late 2025 and anticipated to take around 2 years to complete.
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2024-27 National Land Transport Plan summary for the Bay of Plenty [PDF, 305 KB]
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