Powering Progress on the Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway

After the closure of the Manawatū Gorge road in 2017, the region needed a new, reliable connection between Ashhurst and Woodville. Fast forward through years of planning and development, and the answer came in the form of an 11.5-kilometre, four-lane highway across the Ruahine Range.

Construction began in early 2021, and after plenty of hard work, the highway officially opened in June 2025—restoring a critical link for locals, travellers, and freight operators alike.

You can see the scale of this incredible project in action here: Watch the video!

Supporting the East Side Bridges

Bridges were always going to be a major feature of this project, and with bridges comes the need for precise hydraulic power. On the eastern Ashhurst side of the project, Jonel Hydraulics was called in to assist with both steel and concrete bridge construction.

Our role included:

• Providing and controlling hydraulic lifting equipment, ensuring massive bridge sections were moved and positioned with accuracy and safety.
• Supplying torque equipment, keeping everything tightened and secure to engineering standards.

When you’re dealing with infrastructure on this scale, there’s no room for error. Our equipment and the know-how behind it helped keep the project moving smoothly.

Why Jonel?

Our involvement wasn’t by chance. Jonel has a long-standing track record with major civil construction projects, and over the years, we’ve built trusted relationships with contractors across New Zealand. Bridge building is something we know inside-out, and that made us the natural choice when expertise was needed here.

Clients come to us because:

• We’ve done it before, and done it well.
• We don’t just supply equipment, we help control and manage it.
• We’re always looking ahead, making sure what we provide works not just for today but for future challenges too.

More Than Just Equipment

Projects like this show exactly what Jonel Hydraulics is all about. Yes, we provide world-class hydraulic and torque solutions—but more than that, we bring the experience, trust, and reliability that big infrastructure projects demand.

The Te Ahu a Turanga Highway will serve communities for decades to come, and we’re proud to know Jonel Hydraulics played a part in helping make it happen.

If you’ve got a project that needs precision, expertise, and reliability, Jonel Hydraulics is here to help. Get in touch with us today and let’s talk about how we can support your next big build.