State Highway 29 (SH29) Kaimai Range will close for 5 nights, from Sunday 12 October to Thursday 16 October, between 7.30pm and 3.00am each night (reopening early Friday morning). These closures are necessary to complete routine maintenance, including drain clearing, sign maintenance, road marking and surface repairs.

“We occasionally close SH29 for essential maintenance works. The full closures allow us to complete the work safety and efficiently - benefiting both road worker crews and road users,” says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) System Manager for the Waikato, Andy Oakley.

SH29 plays a critical role in connecting New Zealand’s largest port with the wider Golden Triangle region. With approximately 14,000 vehicles, including thousands of heavy vehicles, using the road daily, maintaining it is essential for safety and accessibility.

“We’ve worked closely with freight operators and roading contractors to coordinate the best possible schedule for these closures. By confirming specific days and times, both road users and freight operators can plan ahead to minimise disruptions to themselves and their customers,” says Mr Oakley.

The detours for this closure are significant and add considerable time to journeys. People are encouraged to check the NZTA Journey Planner  and allow extra time for their journey, or if possible, delay travel over SH29 on these nights.

“We’d like to thank our stakeholders and partners for working with us on this. While disruptive in the short term, everyone will enjoy the benefits of having a more reliable and safer route over the Kaimai Range,” says Mr Oakley.

The closure points on the western (Waikato) side are at the SH29/24 and SH29/28 intersections and on the eastern (BOP) side at the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection. Emergency services will have access at all times, and residents can access their property from the relevant side of the closure.

Alternative routes

• South: all vehicles: SH28, SH5, SH30, SH33, SH2 via Rotorua 
• South: light vehicles: SH28, SH5, SH36 via Rotorua 
• North: SH24, SH27, SH26, SH2 via Karangahake Gorge  

In addition to the Kaimai closures, the summer maintenance programme begins at the end of September on the Bay of Plenty side of the Kaimai Range and will run through to May 2026. Five worksites are scheduled for rebuilding or resurfacing to ensure the route remains safe, reliable, and fit for purpose for all road users.

More information: Summer strengthening works starting on SH29