Prime Minister John Key and Transport Minister Steven Joyce break new ground in Kopu today – to launch work on a new two lane steel bridge across the Waihou River, south of Thames.

The new bridge will replace the 465m long, single lane Kopu Bridge, which opened in 1928.
Its timber and wire barriers and traffic lights make it a notorious traffic bottleneck where holiday weekend drivers regularly queue for up to three hours to get across.
The replacement 580m bridge is a $47 million project, including 2.5km of approach roads.
The new bridge will be 12.95m wide and 6.5m above the river. It will be situated 28m upstream of the existing bridge.
The existing bridge's central swinging section, which opened for passing ships, will be preserved as a Category One historic site.