As per reports, a stretch of road connecting Thames and Paeroa will be closed for up to a month from mid-February 2025 due to the construction of a state highway bridge. The Onetai Bridge about halfway between Paeroa and Kopu on State Highway (SH) 26 will be replaced.

As SH 26 is the only through route between Paeroa and Thames on the eastern side of the Waihou River, the detour route will be via State Highway 2, Hauraki Rd and State Highway 25 for northbound traffic and the reverse for southbound traffic.