Waikato state highway speed changes proposed for public feedback

Friday, 17 July 2026

A suite of speed limit drops could be coming to Waikato, from sections of State Highway 25 in the Coromandel to the southern entrance of Te Kūiti.

Another area in line for a reduction is around a Whatawhata intersection that’s caused community concern and been labelled “high risk”.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has opened a six-week public consultation on proposed changes on several state highways.

Coromandel’s SH25 features, with proposals to permanently lower the speed limit from 80kph to 60kph at Te Rerenga and Whenuakite. Over by Whitianga, the proposal is to install an intersection speed zone at SH25/South Highway West/Moewai Rd.

At Whatawhata, NZTA is proposing permanent speed changes on several parts of SH23 and SH39, which meet at an intersection it’s previously labelled as “high risk”.

These include dropping speeds to 80kph on rural approaches to the intersection, and part of SH39 in the township would drop to 50kph.

The intersection has been the focus of longstanding safety concerns, with residents and road safety advocates previously calling for lower speeds and a roundabout after a series of crashes.

Elsewhere, various permanent speed limit changes are proposed on SH27 and SH24 in Matamata.

In Pirongia, a piece of SH39 on the southern side of town would drop to 50kph, and the limit at the southern entrance to Te Kūiti on SH30 would halve to 50kph.

NZTA also wants to remove the intersection speed zone at the SH1/SH29 Piarere intersection, which isn’t needed now the new roundabout has been built.

Public feedback would help inform NZTA’s decisions, alongside safety, technical, cost and benefit information, regional relationships director for Waikato and Bay of Plenty Andrew Corkill said.

A short online survey can be completed online, on the NZTA site, and closes at 5pm on 27 August.