Quarterly Maintenance to Close Pekatahi Bridge Next Week, with Full Deck Replacement Planned for 2026
- Jessica Doney
- Sep 24
- 2 min read
NZTA are preparing to close the Pekatahi Bridge north of Taneatua next week as part of their quarterly maintenance work.
The bridge on State Highway 2 will close daily between Monday 29th September and Friday 3rd October from 8:30am to 4:30pm.
The closure allows crews to replace cracked surface planks, remove loose screws and clear excess old chip before sealing. Crews will also explore sealing options to help reduce the roughness currently experienced by drivers crossing the bridge.
"After the repairs are finished, the surface will be rough, and it won’t be a smooth ride. The maintenance we’re doing is to keep the road open and safe until the deck is replaced," NZTA say.
Bay of Plenty System Manager at NZTA, Sandra King, says that due to the narrow bridge and the nature of the work, full daytime closures are required.
“We understand this is an important route and that closing the bridge is disruptive. However, the closure is necessary to allow contractors to carry out repairs safely. We’ve scheduled this essential maintenance during the school holidays, when traffic volumes are lower and school buses aren’t operating," King says.
This follows July’s announcement of funding to fully replace the deck of the Pekatahi Bridge, after ongoing complaints about its condition and the frequent need for maintenance.
The design stage for the new bridge is in the works with construction scheduled for early 2026.
NZTA Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations, Roger Brady said back in July, "we have listened to the freight industry and community concerns about the condition of the Pekatahi Bridge and re-prioritised to secure funding for deck construction,"
“Once the deck replacement and structural maintenance is completed, it will significantly extend the life of the bridge by another 20 years,” Brady says.
The cost of the replacement is expected to be around $14 million, however this along with a project timeline is yet to be confirmed.
