Construction of the Tangahoe Tunnel on Tangahoe Valley Road near Hāwera was completed in 1934. At 160 metres long it is one of the longest Taranaki tunnels.
A plaque inside the eastern portal records the guniting of the tunnel in 1954, when gunite or shotcrete was concrete sprayed under pressure to consolidate the walls. Another plaque at the west portal commemorates the reopening of the tunnel after repairs in 1997.
In 1986 part of the roof collapsed in an earthquake and the tunnel was closed. A deep and unstable cutting alongside, which often proved unpassable, served for traffic until the tunnel was repaired and reopened in 1997.
In 2003 further restoration work was required on the tunnel.
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