New Zealand State Highway 25

State Highway 25
Route information
Maintained by New Zealand Transport Agency
Length:	231 km (144 mi)
Major junctions
West end:	SH 2 near Mangatarata
East end:	SH 2 at Waihi
Location
Primary destinations:	Thames, Coromandel, Whitianga, Tairua, Pauanui, Whangamata
Highway system
New Zealand state highways Motorways and expressways List Unused ← SH 24 SH 26 →

State Highway 25 (SH 25) is a North Island State Highway in New Zealand that loops around the Coromandel Peninsula. It is a major route for holidaymakers and tourists which has access to some of New Zealand's most idyllic beach holiday spots. The summer period around Christmas and New Years Eve is a particularly busy period for the highway. The road is very scenic, but also windy in many parts as well as single carriage on the entire route, and is prone to accidents. It is New Zealand's third longest two-digit state highway, after SH 35 and SH 94

There is one spur road, SH 25A, that crosses the peninsula west to east, almost intersecting SH 25 at both ends.

Route

SH 25 begins at SH 2 just three 3km north of Mangatarata. The highway travels eastwards across the Hauraki Plains where it crosses the Waihou River on the new Kopu Bridge, it hits the junction with SH 26 and moves northwards through the township of Thames. The road continues north, skirting the Firth of Thames into the small township of Coromandel before travelling eastwards across the peninsula to the Bay of Plenty side towards Whitianga. SH 25 veers south-west on the Whitianga Bypass, through Coroglen and Whenuakite and over windy hill roads into Tairua, where travellers can access Pauanui. SH 25 then continues southwards, past the intersection of the spur road 25A and towards Whangamata. The road bypasses Whangamata on the west side and continues southbound until it reaches its final terminus in Waihi at the intersection of Kenny Street & Rosemont Road.

Spurs

State Highway 25A (SH 25A) traverses the Coromandel Peninsula from west to east directly. This 28.2km road begins at the intersection of SH 26 only 400m away from the SH 25/SH 26 intersection. It terminates on SH 25 between Tairua and Whangamata.

Route changes

SH 25 once went through the town centres of Whitianga and Whangamata. In Whitianga, the bypass was constructed carrying traffic away from the original route via Buffalo Beach Road, Albert Street, and South Highway. In Whangamata, SH 25 bypasses the town via Tairua Road instead of using Harry Watt Drive, Hetherington Road and Port Road.

The mid 90s saw the last sections of the highway sealed, particularly around the northern end of the Coromandel Peninsula. In 2011 NZTA completed the new Kopu Bridge, a two lane structure, across the Waihou River. It replaced the previous one-lane bridge, where at times holidaymakers had to queue for hours to cross. The old bridge, which was built in 1928, still remains for historic purposes.

In 2015 NZTA completed construction of a new roundabout at the western terminus with SH 2.

References

New Zealand state highways List of New Zealand state highways List of unused highways in New Zealand List of motorways and expressways in New Zealand National SH 1 (incl. SH 1B, SH 1D) SH 2 (incl. SH 2B) SH 3 (incl. SH 3A) SH 4 SH 5 SH 6 (incl. SH 6A) SH 7 (incl. SH 7A) SH 8 (incl. SH 8A, SH 8B) North Island SH 10 SH 11 SH 12 SH 14 SH 15A SH 16 SH 18 SH 20 (incl. SH 20A, SH 20B) SH 21 SH 22 SH 23 SH 24 SH 25 (incl. SH 25A) SH 26 SH 27 SH 28 SH 29 (incl. SH 29A) SH 30 (incl. SH 30A) SH 31 SH 32 SH 33 SH 34 SH 35 SH 36 SH 37 SH 38 SH 39 SH 41 SH 43 SH 44 SH 45 SH 46 SH 47 SH 48 SH 49 SH 50 (incl. SH 50A) SH 53 SH 54 SH 56 SH 57 SH 58 South Island SH 60 SH 62 SH 63 SH 65 SH 67 (incl. SH 67A) SH 69 SH 71 SH 73 SH 74 (incl. SH 74A) SH 75 SH 76 SH 77 SH 78 SH 79 SH 80 SH 82 SH 83 SH 84 SH 85 SH 86 SH 87 SH 88 SH 90 SH 93 SH 94 SH 95 SH 96 SH 97 SH 98 SH 99 Former state highways SH 1A SH 2A SH 15 SH 17 SH 36 SH 40 SH 47A SH 49A SH 52 SH 57A SH 61 SH 70 SH 72 SH 73A SH 89 SH 91 SH 92 Touring routes Twin Coast Discovery Highway Thermal Explorer Highway Pacific Coast Highway Classic New Zealand Wine Trail Alpine Pacific Triangle Great Alpine Highway Foothills Scenic Route Southern Scenic Route