Work ahead on State Highway 5 Napier-Taupō Road

A reminder that State Highway 5 Napier-Taupō Road will be closed for two nights next week as asphalting and line marking is carried out.

SH5 will be closed near Tarawera café at night from 8pm Monday 29 April and will reopen at 5am Tuesday 30 April 2024. Access will remain for residents and emergency services.

Residents will have access from Glengarry Rd to Tarawera Café, and also from Caroline Drive to Waipunga Bridge.  

In addition, a 40-minute stop/stop (when traffic is held) in both directions will be in place at night on SH5 at Waione Bridge (south of Tarawera café) from 8pm on Tuesday 30 April until 5am on Wednesday 1 May. During this time, crews will be asphalting and line marking.

This work is weather dependent so the dates for work may change – please keep up to date with the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Journey Planner.

Meanwhile, you will notice traffic management in place at a number of sites along SH5 while Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) crews continue to progress safety improvements, as well as repair, recovery and maintenance activities.

Safety improvement sites with stop/go and 30km/h to 50km/h traffic management include the following locations:

• Between Eskdale and Glengarry: Marshall’s Bridge; and south of Dillon’s Hill (from late April)
• South of Te Pōhue: Passing lane near Te Pōhue Golf Club, and the intersection at SH5 and Ohurakura Road 
• Between Te Pōhue and Te Hāroto: At, and south of, the passing lane near Mohaka Rafting  
• Tarawera: Curves south of Tarawera café   
• Recovery and maintenance sites with stop/go and 30km/h to 50km/h traffic management include:
• North of Te Hāroto: The intersection at SH5 and McVicar Road, and near Te Hāroto Fire Station (from late April) 
• Between Harapaki Windfarm and Te Hāroto: Captain's Culvert  
• Between Glengarry and Te Pōhue: Pokopoko Gully  

During this work, the temporary speed limits of between 30 and 50 km/h will apply between 7am and 6pm.

NZTA is advising road users to expect delays of up to 40 minutes across the entire state highway as a result of these stop/go sites.

“We know this will be frustrating for people and we’re urging people to plan their journeys accordingly. While these delays will add time to people’s journeys, ultimately the work being carried out by NZTA and TREC will make people’s travel on SH5 safer and more efficient. Crews are making the most of the fine weather before the cooler, winter weather sets in,” says Senior Project Manager Chris Mahoney.

View larger map of the work area on State Highway 5 Napier-Taupō Road [PDF, 212 KB]