A new bridge over the Mangawhero Stream and realigning of State Highway 27 to make this stretch of highway safer.
The new Manawapou Bridge across the Mangawhero Stream opened to traffic on Tuesday 19 April 2022.
Formerly named and known as the Mangawhero Stream Bridge, the new Manawapou Bridge is 80 metres metres long and received its name from the three local iwi groups, Ngāti Hinerangi, Ngāti Hauā and Raukawa.
The name means ‘to support life’ and serves as an acknowledgment to those who have lost their lives near the old Mangawhero Stream Bridge.
The old bridge has been demolished and the finishing touches around the new bridge are currently being completed, including the landscaping.
The Mangawhero Stream Bridge on State Highway 27 was identified as part of the State Highway network that needed to be made safer due to a poor crash record.
The high crash rate was mainly due to the narrowness of the bridge and the unexpected dips and horizontal curves in the road leading up to it. Heavy vehicles found it difficult to traverse the bridge safely when there was oncoming traffic.
As well as being safer the new bridge needed to be capable of taking modern heavier trucks, known as high productivity motor vehicles (HPMV).
Construction of the new bridge to the east of the existing one and realigning of SH27 started in March 2021.
