Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
A forecasted spell of inclement weather is hampering progress on road renewals across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty state highway network.
Heavy rain late last week caused a number of slips and isolated flooding, especially across the Coromandel Peninsula.
While poor weather at this time of year is frustrating for contractors, there isn’t much that can be done, says Cara Lauder, Waikato System Manager at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
“A lot of our renewal work is weather dependent; we need warm, dry weather to lay asphalt or chipseal. Attempting to complete this work when the weather isn’t ideal can lead to both short and long-term issues.
“We also know that we are still in the early stages of our renewal season; it is important that we make the right call and pause work if the weather is not on our side. With events such as Beach Hop coming up, we want to ensure the network is in the right condition to provide a great experience.
“There will be a big push over the next month as we head towards the Christmas/New Year break. There will be an increasing number of crews on the network, and road users need to be prepared for delays on a number of routes.
“As always, the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner is the best tool to use on the day of travel, as this provides real-time updates on the network,” says Ms Lauder.
Waka Kotahi Journey Planner(external link)
Across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty region more than 700 lane kilometres of state highway will be rebuilt or resealed, all to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2023.
Bay of Plenty
Tauranga
- Takitimu North Link Stage One: A range of construction activities are taking place between Te Puna, Bethlehem and Tauriko including Cambridge Road, Harrison Road, Wairoa Road and Minden Road, there are a number of shoulder closures and reduced speed limits. The new Harrison Road alignment will open mid-December with new seal and line marking scheduled in coming weeks. More information.
- SH2 Hewletts Road: As part of the Tauranga City Council Totara Street cycleway project, work at the intersection of SH2 Hewletts Road and Totara Street is underway and will be completed by early-December. Construction work includes signalising the existing slip lane into Totara Street and upgrading the island to provide a fully signalised crossing for shared path users. These works will take place between Tasman Quay and Totara Street from Sunday to Thursday night between 8pm and 6am. Eastbound traffic along Hewletts Road will be maintained on both lanes but will be reduced to one lane intermittently during this time. On Monday 21 November temporary traffic lights will be in place as part of this work. Minimal delays are expected. More information(external link).
- SH2 Bay Link: People driving through the Bayfair roundabout are reminded to take extra care: the roundabout has been made smaller and the position of the lanes around the roundabout has changed to allow for construction of the outer lanes. More information.
- SH29 Takitimu Drive Toll Road: A reduced speed limit of 80km/h will be in place while contractor crews are working behind the barriers. More information.
- SH36 Oropi: Chipsealing will take place south of Tauranga throughout the week. Work will take place at night between 7pm and 6am; stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place where work is taking place. This work is weather dependent.
- SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road (TELTR): For the Tauranga City Council led Pāpāmoa East Interchange project, traffic on the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road just north of the Kaituna River Bridge is back to three lanes. Whilst earthworks continue on the south side of the road, both eastbound lanes are open and normal speed applies. One westbound lane is open whilst work continues in the outer westbound lane, speed past the worksite is set at 70km/h. This layout will remain in place until April 2023. More information. The Quayside Properties Ltd led Rangiuru Business Park Interchange Project has commenced, with investigation work taking place alongside the TELTR. Shoulder closures will be in place until the end of 2023. More information(external link).
Western Bay of Plenty
- SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa: Safety improvement works continue at five active sites: between Tanners Point Road to Kauri Point Road, Rea Road / Tetley Road intersection, Lockington Road / Matahui Road intersection, Morton Road intersection and Apata Station Road to Esdaile Road. Minor delays are expected. More information. Chipsealing commences in this area on Sunday 27 November. Work will take place over three weeks, Sunday to Thursday nights, from 7pm to 6am each night. During this time stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits will be in place.
- SH29 Kaimai Range: Chipsealing will take place west of Tauranga on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 November. Work will take place at night between 7pm and 6am; stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place where work is taking place. This work is weather dependent.
- Te Puke Highway – Chipsealing work along Te Puke Highway, between Poplar Lane and Welcome Bay Road, is scheduled to commence Monday, 28 November (weather dependent). While a lane closure is in place, traffic heading towards Te Puke from Tauranga/Papamoa will be diverted along the Tara Road, Parton Road, Bell Road route. Traffic travelling from Te Puke towards Tauranga will continue as normal, with speed restrictions in place.
Rotorua
- SH5 Tarukenga: Chipsealing will take place west of Rotorua throughout the week. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place where work is taking place.
- SH30A Rotorua CBD: Asphalt resurfacing continues this week. Work will take place between Sunday and Thursday nights. Crews will be on site between 7pm and 6am each night. Road closures will be in place; HPMV and over-dimension loads will need to detour via SH5/SH30, light vehicles will be able to detour via Pukuatua Street. This work is weather dependent.
- SH30 Eastern Corridor Stage Two: Multiple worksites are active between Iles Road and Puketāwhero Park to excavate the shared service trench for the relocation of underground services and installation of the new watermain. Temporary traffic management will be in place with no left turn lane out of Basley Road to SH30/Te Ngae Road, and no left turn from the SH30/Te Ngae Road westbound lane into Tennyson Drive; minor delays are expected. The upgraded footpath on the lakeside between Iles Road to Tennyson Drive, heading east on SH30/Te Ngae Road, is now open. Minor delays are expected. As the footpath is upgraded there are closures in place. People walking and cycling are asked to take extra care and follow the marked detours, using the temporary signalised pedestrian crossings at the SH30/Te Ngae Road and Basley Road intersection and at the western end of Puketāwhero Park to cross SH30/ Te Ngae Road safely. More information.
- SH30/SH33 Te Ngae Junction: Construction of the safety improvements continue with excavation, stabilising and pavement work underway on the western side, with a shoulder closure in place. At times there will be minor traffic delays, and people are asked to take extra care while travelling through the site. More information(external link).
- SH33 Te Ngae Junction to Paengaroa: Safety improvement upgrade work continues near Pareteiro – Sun Valley Curves passing lane. Temporary traffic management is in place with a contra flow or stop/go and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h during work hours. When the site is unattended, the worksite will have a shoulder closure and a temporary speed limit of 50km/h. There are also ongoing shared path works between Mourea Bridge and Ōkere Falls. Temporary traffic management sees a combination of shoulder closures and stop/go as required. This may cause minor traffic delays. More information(external link).
Eastern Bay of Plenty
- SH35 Tōrere: Road rehabilitation continues, immediately north of Tōrere. Work is expected to be complete late-November. Stop/stop and stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place. Delays of 30 minutes or more can be expected.
- SH30 Awakeri to Whakatāne: Pavement and utility site investigation work along SH30 between the SH2/SH30 and Shaw Road/SH30 intersections continues. Works will be undertaken across a number of sites, at night or during the day (depending on the specific task), under stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit.
- SH2 Pekatahi Bridge: This bridge currently has a maximum weight limit of 6 tonnes, all vehicles unable to travel over the bridge must detour via State Highway 30, Hinemoa Street, Arawa Road, Valley Road and Taneatua Road. This detour will add an extra 20 minutes to travel time. Bridge closures will commence Monday 12 December, with the bridge closed from 7am to 6pm each day for one week. During this time the bridge will re-open to light vehicles (under 6 tonnes) each night, until 6pm Friday 16 December, when the bridge will be available again to all vehicle weights. More information.
- SH2 Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki: Service relocation work between Pohutukawa Drive and Paerata Ridge Road continues. Stop/go traffic management will be in place during the day when this work is taking place. More information.
- SH2 Waioeka Gorge: Road rehabilitation commences north of Oponae. Work is expected to take two weeks to complete. During this time stop/go and stop/stop traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place. Delays can be expected.
Tairāwhiti Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay
- SH35 Kopuaroa: The site remains under stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h at all times. Main improvement works to realign the highway onto more stable ground are underway. Delays are to be expected. More information.
- SH2 Esk River Bridge: The bridge over the Esk River on SH2, north of Napier, has been reduced to a 30km/h temporary speed limit due to recent assessments identifying the bridge does not have capacity for sustained increased travel demands. Overweight vehicles are required to reduce their speed to 10km/h within their own lane, or to follow the restriction on their permit if it is lower. More information.
Manawatū-Whanganui
- SH4 Auraki Stream Road Retreat: Work to retreat the road away from a slip adjacent to the Mangawhero River is currently underway and will continue into 2023. For the duration of the works the road is reduced to one lane with traffic control operating under traffic signals. Works are generally undertaken away from the road, however there are occasions where traffic signals are used to keep drivers safe from hazards, with delays of up to 10 minutes.
- SH4 Te Oreore slip: Following a slip in 2019, a temporary road is in place at Te Oreore, with a 30km/h temporary speed limit in place.
- SH4 Upokongaro to Raetihi: Crews continue to clear material from numerous slip sites. Traffic is generally reduced down to one lane past these slip sites during working hours. At sites 150m north of Burrell Road and 3km north of Burrell Road, SH4 is reduced down to one lane due to underslips with priority give way and 30km/h speed limits in place. At Aberfeldy, 1km north of Parihauhau Road, speed is reduced to 50km/h due to an underslip compromising the edge line of the northbound lane.
Waikato
East Waikato
- Beach Hop: Beach Hop 22 commences Wednesday 23 November, running through until Sunday 27 November. Higher than usual traffic volumes on SH25 can be expected from Friday 18 November until Tuesday 29 November. More information(external link).
- SH25 Coromandel: The Coromandel state highway chipseal programme continues, and crews will be on the network until mid-December. Expect delays due to multiple sites under stop/go traffic management, one-way detours and/or temporary speed limits.
- SH25 Kaimarama: Road rehabilitation work at the intersection of Kaimarama Road continues until late-November. Work will take place between 8am and 5pm, with stop/go traffic management in place and a temporary speed limit through the site for the duration of the works.
- SH25 Hikuai Bridge: A poor weather forecast has meant a change in schedule for the SH25 Hikuai River Bridge deck replacement works. Work has progressed well and ahead of schedule, with the timber bridge deck now replaced, however the final surfacing work which was set to take place this Sunday, 20 November, is weather dependent and has been postponed. From now, the bridge will be open to all traffic until Monday 28 November, when it will be closed from 8pm to 6am for three nights while the surfacing work is completed.
- SH29 Kaimai Range: Road surface repairs will take place on the Waikato side of the Kaimai Range on Wednesday 23 November. Work will take place at night between 7pm and 6am; stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place where work is taking place. This work is weather dependent.
Central Waikato
- SH28 Okoroire: Road rehabilitation work at the intersection of Okoroire Road continues, and is expected to be complete by late-November. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place.
- SH1 Lichfield: Road reconstruction work commences Monday 28 November near Baldwin Road in Lichfield. Northbound light vehicles detour via Wiltsdown Road, Old Taupo Road, Waotu Road, Arapuni Road, Arapuni Street and Princes Street. Northbound heavy vehicles will be sent past the site via stop/go traffic management. Work is expected to take three weeks to complete. More information.
- SH1 Ātiamuri: Safety improvements on a 4.5km stretch of SH1 between Maroa Road and Tram Road, south of Ātiamuri, are continuing. A 50km/h temporary speed limit is in place through the site and stop/go traffic management with a 30km/h temporary speed limit may also be used at times between 9am and 3pm Monday to Friday. More information.
- SH30 Ātiamuri: Chipsealing will take place throughout the week in the Upper Ātiamuri area. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place where work is taking place.
- SH1 Desert Road: The road is down a single lane near Tree Trunk Gorge Road, due to washouts. Temporary traffic signals are in place along with a temporary speed limit; road users are reminded to comply with the traffic management on site. Repair work is underway; there will be short periods of stop/stop traffic management to move machinery to/from site. The second closure is planned for Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 December, more information to follow in due course. More information.
West Waikato
- SH1B Puketaha: SH1B east of Hamilton is closed at the southern end of Telephone Road while options for its long-term future are investigated. Detour via Holland Road, Waverley Road and Seddon Road. More information.
- SH1 Waikato Expressway – Ngāruawāhia Section: South-bound night-time closures take place this week from Sunday 20 to Thursday 24 November, at night between 7pm and 5am. The detour for light vehicles is via Great South Road, over-weight and over-dimension loads will need to use SH1B. Following these closures there will be a combination of lane closures, contraflow and additional night-time closures to complete the remainder of the work. More information.
- SH39 Pirongia: Bridge strengthening work commences next week at the Whatiwhatihoe Bridge south of Pirongia, stop/go traffic management will be in place for approximately three weeks. More information.
- SH30 Kōpaki: A localised drop out between Kōpaki Road and Ohirea Road means temporary traffic signals are in place to control traffic, along with a temporary speed restriction of 30 km/h. Repairs are complete at a slump near Kōpaki Bridge; however, this site remains under a temporary speed restriction. Truck drivers are reminded that the existing Kōpaki rail overbridge has a maximum weight limit of 6 tonnes. If compliance with the load restriction doesn’t greatly improve, the potential risk to both road and rail users will force us to close the road to all traffic. The detour route between Maniaiti/Benneydale and Te Kuiti is via Kōpaki Road and SH4. More information.
- SH4 Taumarunui: Following storm damage, a section of road north of Taumarunui, between the State Highway 43 intersection and Okahukura Bridge Road is under stop/go traffic management, controlled by traffic signals. Enabling works have commenced, and plans for the long-term repair of this road are currently being designed.
North Waikato
- SH1 Mercer: Due to multiple maintenance activities including road resurfacing and vegetation work northbound lanes will be closed between Island Block Road and Mercer on Monday 21 November, between 9pm and 5am. Traffic will travel north using one of the southbound lanes under traffic management. At the Mercer interchange both northbound and southbound lanes will be closed; traffic will be able to travel in both directions through the area under stop/go traffic management.
- SH1 Meremere: Due to multiple maintenance activities including road resurfacing and vegetation work northbound lanes will be closed between Hampton Downs and Island Block Road on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 November, between 9pm and 5am. Traffic will travel north using one of the southbound lanes under traffic management. There is no access for heavy vehicles to SH1 southbound from the Hampton Downs interchange. Please follow the signposted detour which will direct traffic to the Te Kauwhata interchange. Road users travelling in light vehicles can access SH1 southbound via the Hampton Downs southbound on-ramp under stop/go traffic management.
- SH1 Hampton Downs: A series of overnight ramp closures are taking place until Thursday 15 December. Due to the narrow width of the on and off ramps, a full closure is needed for the barrier work to ensure the safety of site staff and to enable construction vehicles to safely enter and leave the site. The recommended detour when the southbound ramps and the northbound onramp are closed is to use the Te Kauwhata Interchange, travelling along Rodda Road and Whangamarino Road. For the northbound offramp closures the recommended detour is to head north past the interchange to Dragway Road, use the turnaround and then access the interchange using the southbound offramp. More information.
- SH2 Maramarua (West): Stop/go traffic management will be in place between Maramarua and Coalfields Road on Monday 21 and Thursday 24 November between 9pm and 5am. Newly laid chipseal will require aftercare treatment. Reduced speeds will be in place day and night on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 November, and during the day on Thursday 24 November.
- SH2 Maramarua (East): Stop/go traffic management will be in place between Monument Road and Dimmock Road on Tuesday 22 and Thursday 24 November between 9pm and 5am. Newly laid chipseal will require aftercare treatment. Reduced speeds will be in place day and night on Wednesday 23 November, and during the day on Thursday 24 November.
Taranaki
- SH3 Piopio: A slip has the road down to one lane between Mangarongo and Paekaka Roads, which is being controlled by traffic signals. Delays of 5-10 minutes are expected. More information.
- SH3 Awakino Bypass: Final surfacing works have commenced. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit will be in place.
- SH3 Awakino: A slip south of Awakau Road has the road down to one lane controlled by traffic signals and a 30km/h temporary speed limit. There are various other slips in the gorge that are currently not affecting traffic, however drivers are asked to drive with caution, and expect delays at the single lane section.
- SH3 Te Ara o Te Ata: Mt Messenger Bypass: Stop/go controls are operating daily, with delays of up to 15 minutes expected. The lane closure allows for Bypass enabling works. More information(external link).
For up to 48 hours following completion of chipseal sites, a 50km/h temporary speed limit will be in place until the road is swept and line marking reinstated.
The above information is accurate at the time of release. Many of the above works are dependent on a number of factors, particularly weather, and may be postponed at short notice. For up-to-date information on road works, traffic, detours and delays, motorists are encouraged to visit the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website.
Waka Kotahi Journey Planner(external link)
Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience while we complete this essential work to keep the state highway network safe, accessible and resilient.
