State Highway 39 (SH 39) is a New Zealand state highway that forms a western bypass of the city of Hamilton. Gazetted in 1999,[1] it is a generally quicker route to get between Auckland and New Plymouth as well as connecting to the Waitomo Caves, just south of the SH 39 southern terminus. The southernmost 14 km section has a concurrency with SH 31, as this highway has existed for much longer (SH 31 continues west to Kawhia).
Route
SH 39 begins at SH 1C on the Te Rapa section of the Waikato Expressway at Koura Drive, just north of the city of Hamilton. It veers south briefly before reaching a roundabout junction where it follows Te Kowhai Road westbound, eventually changing to Limmer Road. At the intersection of Horotiu Road SH 39 veers south (the northbound road formed the previous SH 39 route) until the intersection with SH 23 at Whatawhata. It shares a brief concurrency, turning left into SH 23, then immediately right back onto SH 39 southbound. Following Kakaramea Road, the highway passed through Ngāhinapōuri then the township of Pirongia. After Pironga the state highway intersects SH 31 to Kawhia. For the final 14 km the road is jointly designated SH 31 and SH 39 before terminating in the town of Ōtorohanga with SH 3.[2][unreliable source?][when?]
SH 39 is classified as an 'arterial' highway under the One Network Road Classification.[3]
The traffic flow records indicate that through traffic forms about half the flow, with traffic from Hamilton via SH 23 adding to the flow through Whatawhata and via Temple View and Tuhikaramea Rd adding to the flow through Ngāhinapōuri and from Kawhia adding a little to the flow at the southern end of SH 39.[4]
SH 39's northern terminus has changed. In 2013 after the completion of the Waikato Expressway, Ngāruawāhia Section, SH 1 used to travel through Ngāruawāhia and Te Kowhai further north than currently.[5] After the expressway was completed, the Waikato Expressway become the new SH 1. As the expressway is a faster route, SH 39 was diverted away from Ngāruawāhia to its current terminus at Te Rapa. The current route was temporarily designated SH 39A[6] whilst it was being upgraded to highway status and in June 2014 this section become SH 39 and the old section revoked.[7][8]
In July 2022, upon opening of the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway, SH 1 moved from its location via Mangaharakeke Drive onto the expressway. The old designation of SH 1 through Hamilton was renumbered SH 1C.[9]
The road runs close to the Waipā River for most of its length. Until the 1930s improvements, floods closed the road in 1904,[13] 1907[14] and 1926.[15]
