New Zealand Transport Agency (NZ Transport Agency) is set to build a rock wall to protect and prevent damages on a coastal section of State Highway 25 (SH25).

Set to begin next week, the project involves building a 100m long wall for a road section near Kereta Bay, around 24km south of Coromandel in Waikato.

The work will prevent road erosion and ensure safety for all road users.

Waikato Transport Systems manager Rob Campbell said: “We need to start this work now, or risk greater disruption if a part of SH25 were to wash away.

“There are three separate slips that have been getting steadily worse in the past few months, so we need to put protection in place.”

The project is expected to be completed in three months, during which only one lane of the SH25 will be operational.

Headquartered in Wellington, NZ Transport Agency is responsible for promoting safe road transportation across the country.

The agency also manages driver and vehicle licensing and administers the state highway network.

Last month, NZ Transport Agency suspended all non-essential work, including the building of new highways, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has also started monitoring state highways to expedite the transport of essential goods during the outbreak.

The coronavirus disease has infected more than 1,400 people in the country.

Globally, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases has crossed two million. The death toll has surged to 138,000.