Media Advisory
22 April 2026

Safety first is the focus of the change from two lanes to one on Huangarua Bridge in South Wairarapa, with implementation expected to take place this week.

The decision to change from two lanes to one lane was made by the Council’s Infrastructure Committee in February this year and motivated by the desire to improve road safety for the community and visitors alike across the district.  

Huangarua Bridge is situated on Ponatahi Road in Martinborough, which also had a speed reduction implemented in late March from 100km/h to 60km/h between Nelsons Road and Johns Way across the bridge, as part of the Council’s Speed Management Plan.

The lane change work will be carried out by Fulton Hogan and includes new signage to be installed on each side of the bridge, along with key safety improvements:

• A priority give way system will be installed to indicate that traffic on its way to Martinborough has right of way.
• Road widening on the approaches to the bridge to improve visibility and alignment.
• New road markings, as illustrated in the Proposed Road Safety Improvements image.
• Shoulder widening at the southern end of the bridge.

Narrow two lane bridges can create confusion and risk when vehicles approach at the same time, particularly when the road bends at each end of the bridge. Moving to a clearly marked one lane configuration improves driver certainty, reduces hesitation and significantly lowers the chance of near misses or collisions.

The work is a proactive step to improve road safety for all drivers using Huangarua Bridge and Ponatahi Road, both now and in the future.

The $20,000 budget comes from the Council’s approved budgets. It is subsidised by 51 percent by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.