State Highway 25 is a North Islandstate 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 Year's 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 and. It is part of the Pacific Coast Highway. 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 3 km north of Mangatarata at a roundabout intersection. The highway travels eastwards across the Hauraki Plains where it crosses the Waihou River on the new Kopu Bridge, it hits the junction with 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 Pauanui is accessible. SH 25 then continues southwards, past the intersection of the spur highway SH 25A and towards Whangamatā. The road bypasses Whangamatā 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 traverses the Coromandel Peninsula from west to east directly. This 28.2 km road begins at the intersection of only 400m away from the SH 25/SH 26 intersection. It terminates on SH 25 between Tairua and Whangamatā.
Route changes
SH 25 once went through the town centres of Whitianga and Whangamatā. In Whitianga, the bypass was constructed carrying traffic away from the original route via Buffalo Beach Road, Albert Street, and South Highway. In Whangamatā, SH 25 bypasses the town via Tairua Road instead of using Harry Watt Drive, Hetherington Road and Port Road. In the early 2000s the last sections of the highway were sealed, particularly around the northern end of the Coromandel Peninsula between Coromandel township and Whitianga. 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, is scheduled to be deconstructed although a key part of its history will still be preserved.
