| Country: | NZL |
| Type: | SH |
| Route: | 21 |
| Length Km: | 6.7 |
| Length Round: | 1 |
| Direction A: | Northeast |
| Terminus A: | at Tamahere |
| Junction: | Hamilton Airport |
| Direction B: | Southwest |
| Terminus B: | at Ōhaupō |
| Previous Type: | SH |
| Previous Route: | 20 |
| Next Type: | SH |
| Next Route: | 22 |
| Map Custom: | yes |
State Highway 21 (SH 21) is a short 6.7km (04.2miles) stretch of highway in the North Island of New Zealand. It links, Waikato Expressway at Tamahere and at Ōhaupō. Its main destination is Hamilton Airport and Mystery Creek, where the National Agricultural Fieldays are held.
SH 21 was gazetted as a brand new state highway designation in 1997.[1]
SH 21 is actually south of where the number is supposed to be when considering the general pattern of assigning increasing state highway numbers in a north–south direction; in reality, it should lie somewhere in South Auckland. This southern placement makes SH 21 the second-most southern SH 2x highway, after .
At the exit to Hamilton Airport, SH 21 used to show Hamilton to be in both directions (i.e. left to Hamilton and Rotorua, right to Hamilton and Waitomo Caves), and was possibly the only place in the State Highway network in which this happened (the actual difference between turning left and turning right is only 800m (2,600feet)). In 2015 the signs were updated to show Hamilton to the left, and the route to the right is now on a separate sign reading "Hamilton via State Highway 3".
The first bridge opened on 12 February 1879,[2] costing £999 17s 4d, with a £300 government subsidy,[3] £90 each from Waipa and Waikato County Councils and the rest paid by donations,[4] [5] paid by a long list of subscribers from 1878.[6] It lasted until blown up in 1940.[7]
Its 49.5m (162.4feet)[8] reinforced concrete replacement,[9] supported by a 31m (102feet) steel arch, opened in December 1939.[10] It is 1.78km (01.11miles) from the Tamahere end of SH21[11] with a road width of 20feet wide, plus a 5feet footpath, which cost £5,660[12] (£3,000 from government and the rest shared by the counties)[13] and was designed by Jones and Adams (see also Tuakau Bridge).[14] It was given a NZHPT Category 2 historic listing in 1985.[15] The river banks were soil nailed in 2010 to protect the foundations.[16] The effect of the works can be seen in the AADT figures – 2008 (5087), 2009 (5288), 2010 (4972), 2011 (4921), 2012 (4910), 2013 (4892), 2014 (5391), 2015 (5551).[17]
Narrows Bridge 1939 photos –