State Highway 31 (SH 31) is a New Zealand state highway in the Waikato region. It provides a link to the harbour town of Kawhia on the west coast of the North Island.

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State Highway 31
Route information
Maintained by NZ Transport Agency
Length	56.4 km (35.0 mi)
Major junctions
East end	SH 3 (Maniapoto Street) at Ōtorohanga
Major intersections	SH 39 north (Ormsby Road) at Tihiroa
West end	Pouewe Street in Kawhia
Location
Country	New Zealand
Highway system
New Zealand state highways Motorways and expressways List
← SH 30 → SH 32

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SH 31 route begins at SH 3 in Ōtorohanga. The first section of this route is a joint designation with SH 39. SH 31/SH 39 initially travels north-west along Kawhia Road. After 14 km and just after the locality of Tihiroa the highway meets a junction where SH 39 carries on north and SH 31 turns sharply west, staying on Kawhia Road. The road from here on is extremely windy and treachourous, having in 2012 been assessed as the state highway with the highest personal risk.^[1] SH 31 eventually reaches Pouewe Street in Kawhia where it terminates.

It was classified as a state highway on 1 April 1948.^[2]

In 1885 the road crossing the river was only 6 ft (2 m) wide at Ōpārau.^[3] From about 1900 a coach ran for passengers between Kawhia and Te Awamutu,^[4] with a launch between Kawhia and Ōpārau.^[5] Ōpārau Ferry Bridge opened in 1913.^[6] In 1924 a 52 ft (16 m) concrete bridge was built over the Ōpārau to carry what is now SH 31.^[7] Metalling of the road was completed in 1926.^[8]

• List of New Zealand state highways