19 February, 9:15am

Emergency services will have prioritised access throughout the work, excluding the night of Sunday 22 February when detours will be required.

4 February, 9:54am

State Highway 29 (SH29) over the Kaimai Range will close overnight for 5 nights, from Sunday 22 February to Thursday 26 February, between 8pm and 3.30am each night (reopening early Friday morning).

These closures are necessary to continue urgent remedial work on the Ruahihi Bluffs, near the Ruahihi Power Station, and undertake key maintenance work at other sites along the corridor.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) System Manager for the Bay of Plenty, Sandra King says that scaling work was carried out on the bluffs in late 2025 where it was identified that further critical works would be required. 

“The next phase involves removing a large rock from the top of the bluffs, along with strengthening and reinforcement work. The operation will involve a helicopter, crane and abseilers.

“Due to the risks involved, a full overnight road closure is necessary to ensure everyone’s safety. It also helps us to complete the work much quicker - benefiting both road worker crews and road users.” 

Ms King says this work has been timed to coincide with other maintenance works along the corridor requiring road closure.

This includes asphalt pavement works, localised drainage works, road marking and surface repairs at numerous sites along the state highway.

“We occasionally close SH29 for essential works such as these and work closely with freight operators and roading contractors to coordinate the best possible schedule for these closures. We appreciate that any closure is disruptive and would 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 Ms King.

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.

Alternative routes

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

The closure points on the western (Waikato) side are at the SH29/SH24 and SH29/SH28 intersections and on the eastern (BOP) side at the SH29/Redwood/Kaweroa Drive Roundabout.  

Emergency services will have prioritised access at all times.

Residents will still be able to access their properties from the relevant side of the closure but should expect delays. The state highway will also be fully closed to all through traffic (including residents) at Ruahihi Bluffs for a period of time on Sunday 22 February. Timings will be communicated to residents closer to the closure.

After the 5 night closure, crews will remain onsite at the Ruahihi Bluffs for approximately 8 weeks, with night-time stop/go traffic management in place as the stabilisation work continues.

Meanwhile the summer maintenance programme continues through to May 2026. A number of road sites are being rebuilt or resurfaced to ensure the route remains safe, reliable, and fit for purpose for all road users.

Summer maintenance programme(external link)

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.