The replacement of Omanawa 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.
The Tauriko West project is identified as a Road of National Significance (RoNS) which looks at transport upgrades to State Highway 29 and State Highway 29A.
This project will begin with the replacement of the Omanawa bridge, realignment of the connections on SH29 around the bridge and minor safety improvements to the Omanawa Road intersection.
We’re planning to place the new bridge on the alignment which best fits with the future design for Tauriko West.
Our focus now are conversations with landowners, exploring construction methodology and starting design, and geotechnical investigations, ahead of the designation process.
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).
