Transporting New Zealand Hails Two-lane Pekatahi Bridge Replacement

National Road Freight Association Transporting New Zealand is welcoming Transport Minister Chris Bishop’s announcement that a new two-lane bridge will be built on State Highway 2 (SH2) near Tāneatua in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, replacing the existing one-lane Pekatahi Bridge.

Construction of the new two-lane bridge is likely to begin in mid-2027, taking around 18 months to complete. The total estimated cost to deliver the new bridge is expected to be between $64 and $69 million.

Transporting New Zealand and local road freight operators have been advocating for a replacement throughout the year, noting that up to 2,300 vehicles use the bridge daily, 900 of which are trucks. Surfacing issues were causing a bone-juddering ride that damaged vehicles and freight.

Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says that it was unacceptable to have the main State Highway 2 route between the Port of Tauranga and the East Coast and Gisborne falling to bits.

"Transporting New Zealand estimates that bridge closures caused by surfacing issues and repair work cost operators and freight customers approximately $100,000 a day in detour costs. This bridge replacement will be a big boost to the East Coast economy and community."

"We’d like to thank local MP Dana Kirkpatrick for her strong advocacy for the bridge replacement, and the Minister of Transport Chris Bishop for his commitment to supporting a resilient and fit for purpose roading network."

"This is a good news story about the community and local businesses speaking up on a local transport issue and getting results, and Transporting New Zealand are happy we could provide support through our national membership team and advocacy in Wellington."

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