Today’s announcement by Transport Minister Michael Wood that the Government is committed to building a bridge to replace SH25A is being welcomed by the transport sector.

“Confirmation the bridge will be able to be delivered quickly, while bringing more resilience to the Coromandel road network means transport operators across the regions now have better surety around what the future will hold for both the affected communities and their businesses,” says Justin Tighe-Umbers, CEO, National Road Carriers Association (NRC).

“It will be a challenging piece of engineering on a difficult site; however, this seems to be the simplest most resilient option with the best chance to be completed ahead of summer demand.”

Tighe-Umbers says it’s great to see that the funding is ear marked to come from the Government’s previously announced $250 million cyclone recovery support package, as this means Waka Kotahi, and their contractors, can get going quickly on the rebuild.

“Our members have been doing it really tough. They have been hit with escalating costs all round as the cost of business has risen, journey times up to twice as long, and decreased visitor numbers impacting the businesses they support.

“As Minister Wood says, the road really is a ‘lifeline’ for the Coromandel Peninsula. It’s a huge relief to hear contractors are lined up to start construction in June with a clear end date of early 2024,” says Tighe-Umbers.

NRC recognises that it’s going to take an immense effort from Waka Kotahi to makes this happen, but to-date they have achieved great results around the country getting other roads rebuilt and open following the cyclone. It goes to show just how much can actually be achieved when agencies are given the right support and commitment.

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