7 September 2021
Journeys are now safer and more reliable for people travelling on State Highway 3 (SH3) between Taranaki and Waikato thanks to a new route bypassing the 100-year old Awakino Tunnel.
Creating a route around the tunnel involved building 2.3km of road, including a northbound passing lane and truck pullover areas, and two new bridges over the Awakino River. This new route opened in May 2021, but at reduced speeds until the final sealing work is completed in the warmer months of summer 2021/22.
The single-lane Awakino Tunnel, blasted from the rock of the Awakino Gorge in the early 1920s, was both a feature and a bottleneck on the trip along SH3 and has been preserved as a tourist attraction.
A landscaped rest area has been built on the banks of the Awakino River, with a walkway to the old tunnel and storyboards sharing local history.
This project is part of the wider Awakino Gorge to Mt Messenger Programme, which aims to improve safety and resilience along the 58kms of SH3 that serve as Taranaki’s main route north.
From 2018, a range of safety improvements were made on this often winding and narrow route, including:
The Mt Messenger Bypass, a major part of this programme, is expected to begin construction in 2022. It’s a new 6km route from Uruti to Ahititi that’ll be safer than the steep, narrow and winding route over Mt Messenger.
Around $447 million will be invested connecting communities and making roads safer in Taranaki region as part of the 2021–24 National Land Transport Programme.
Awakino Tunnel Bypass project
2021–24 NLTP Taranaki regional summary
