The dates for the SH2 road closures for the replacement of the temporary Bailey Bridge at Waikare have changed.

The construction programme for the Bailey Bridge replacement has shifted by one week meaning the new closure dates are now:

• 10am Saturday 6 to 10am Sunday 7 September – Full 24-hour closure to remove the Bailey bridge and install the Acrow bridge.
• Sunday 7, Monday 8, and Tuesday 9 September – Night closures from 9pm to 5am to widen the bridge approaches.

The work will provide a new wider stronger, quieter temporary bridge at the Waikare Gorge. Construction work will involve building a crane platform and putting the new steel bridge together. Stop/go traffic management will be in place between the Bailey bridge and King’s Bridge – approximately 150 metres south of the Bailey bridge.

Motorists are advised to expect delays with stop/go traffic management in place.

The new bridge, known as an Acrow bridge, is similar to the current Bailey bridge, but it will be one metre wider (accommodating wider vehicles) and have more capacity for HPMV and most over-dimensional vehicles. It will have a chipseal surface and is expected to be quieter than the current Bailey bridge.

The Acrow bridge will remain in use until the Waikare Gorge realignment project is complete.

The new bridge will remain single lane; however, it will better support the local freight industry and improve safety for everyone.

This work is weather-dependent.

4 August 2025

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