A five-tonne weight ban has been lifted on a section of Thames Coast Road after extensive storm damage.
The NZ Transport Agency has lifted the restriction on State Highway 25 between Te Puru and Manaia as work continues to “get life back to normal” on the Coromandel Peninsula.
NZTA’s acting Waikato transport system manager Rob Campbell says engineers “are satisfied” the southbound direction is now suitable for trucks.
This will allow businesses like the mussel farms and forestry owners to take their products off the peninsula, he says.
“At this stage the five-tonne weight restriction remains in place for northbound traffic as there are still sections of the road where we’ve not yet provided full strength to the seaward edge of the road.”
Northbound trucks over five tonnes should continue to use the alternative route via SH25A from Kopu and SH25 on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula.
“We acknowledge this does add considerable time and distance to the journey and we thank drivers for their patience and understanding,” Campbell says.
There is still around 10km of damaged sea protection wall that needs to be repaired over the next month.
Drivers should continue to check the NZTA website or call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS before they travel and expect lengthy delays with stop/go traffic control and speed restrictions at a number of sites.
