Work resumes around Control Gates Bridge

Mercury is about to begin the second phase of maintenance work for its Control Gates in Taupō, with traffic management in place.

The Control Gates Bridge controls the flow out of Lake Taupō into the Waikato River. Photo / Mercury

It will involve installing a retaining wall on both sides of the Waikato River, immediately upstream of the Control Gates, to protect the structure from erosion. 

It will be similar to work completed in previous years, where retaining walls have been installed downstream of the Control Gates  

Mercury’s acting executive GM Generation, Tomas Toomata, said regular maintenance checks show the Control Gates structure is still safe for use, but work needs to be done to protect it from erosion. 

The upstream erosion control work will start towards the end of February 2025 and run through to June 2025. Traffic management will be in place during the works.

It follows phase one of the project which involved repairing erosion downstream of the gates, work that was completed in December 2024. 

People will see specialist equipment moving into place in late February. This will include a 100-tonne crane which will work on both sides of the river during the project, to lift the sheets into place. 

Mercury is working with iwi and hāpu partners, Taupō District Council and other stakeholders to ensure the community is aware of the work. 

For more information visit: www.mercury.co.nz/taupo-control-gates-erosion-repairs