It is a major road for holidaymakers and tourists, with the summer period around Christmas and New Year's Eve a particularly busy time.

It crosses the Waihou River on the new Kopu Bridge to the junction with SH 26 and turns northwards through the township of Thames.

[2][better source needed] State Highway 25A (SH 25A) traverses Coromandel Peninsula west to east directly from Kopu to Hikuai.

In Whitianga, the bypass was constructed carrying traffic away from the original route via Buffalo Beach Road, Albert Street, and South Highway.

In the early 2000s the last sections of the highway were sealed, mainly on the northern part between Coromandel township and Whitianga.