Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
As many New Zealanders return from their summer holidays, so too do the road workers of the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
The early focus for many, especially those in the Coromandel, was on the response to the impacts of Ex-Cyclone Hale. These events require a full team response, says Cara Lauder, Waikato System Manager at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
“Our contractors have systems in place to ensure they can respond quickly to any events on the network during an event like Ex-Cyclone Hale. Once the scale of each issue is known, plans are made to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
“Our East Waikato team has worked hard to restore access as quickly as possible to the Coromandel Peninsula. We acknowledge residents and those on holiday rely on the state highways to travel to the rest of the country, and being isolated for any period of time is less than ideal.”
Ms Lauder says that while there is still some clean-up to be undertaken in the coming weeks, the focus is switching to the remainder of the road renewal programme.
“We have had a very wet summer so far. We have a lot of work to complete over the next three months, and road users can expect to have their journeys disrupted by roadwork sites across the region.
“It is important to plan ahead and give yourself extra time to reach your destination. Our crews will ensure that sites are finished or closed down over key travel periods, such as Auckland Anniversary weekend and Waitangi Day weekend.
Check the Summer Journeys traffic prediction tool before these weekends to see when to avoid travelling on key routes.”
Summer Journeys traffic prediction tool(external link)
Outside long weekends road users are encouraged to use the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner, which provides real-time updates of network conditions, including traffic delays.
Waka Kotahi Journey Planner (external link)
Bay of Plenty
Tauranga
- Takitimu North Link Stage One: A range of construction activities will continue between Te Puna, Bethlehem and Tauriko including Cambridge Road, Harrison Road, Wairoa Road, Minden Road, Loop Road and State Highway 2, there are a number of shoulder closures and reduced speed limits. The new Harrison Road alignment will open with new seal and line marking scheduled in coming weeks, when there is consistent weather. People may notice an increase in truck movements along Moffat Road over the summer months as earthworks ramp up in the Tauriko/Bethlehem area. More information(external link)
- SH2 Bay Link: A single, northbound lane closure on SH2, from Exeter Street to Concord Avenue, is currently scheduled for the night of Friday 20 January, from 7pm to 6am, to allow fascia panels to be lifted into position on the Bayfair flyover’s northern ramp (the ramp closest to Golf 360). At the same time, works are planned to remove some sheet piling from the work zone adjacent to the underpass. There may be minor delays for people using the underpass between 7pm and 6am. Access to Truman Lane is via SH2 Sandhurst interchange only, with access to Truman Lane from the State Highway 29A roundabout closed. Follow detours and allow extra time. All Truman Lane businesses, including Baypark Stadium and Te Maunga transfer station, will remain accessible. On Matapihi Road, the left lane approaching the Bayfair roundabout will remain left turn only and the right lane will continue to be for traffic going straight through and turning right only. More information(external link)
- 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
- SH2 15th Avenue: Work has started on the upgrade of the intersection at SH2/15th Avenue and Cameron Road. Traffic management will be in place on the two northern corners, and there will be a reduced number of northbound lanes on Cameron Road. Minor delays are expected.
- SH2 Tauranga Harbour Bridge (westbound): The Dive Crescent off-ramp will be closed for approximately a week from Sunday 15 January to allow bridge maintenance to take place, weather permitting. On Sunday to Thursday nights inclusive, between 7pm and 6am, the left hand through lane in this area will also be closed while works take place. Road users wishing to access Tauranga CBD can use either the Chapel Street off-ramp or Elizabeth Street roundabout.
- SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road (TELTR): For the Tauranga City Council led Pāpāmoa East Interchange construction project, traffic on the TELTR, just north of the Kaituna River Bridge, has three operational 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 alongside the outer westbound lane. A temporary speed limit past the worksite is 70km/h. This layout will remain in place until April 2023, including over the holiday period. More information.(external link)The Quayside Properties Ltd led Rangiuru Business Park Interchange project has commenced. Temporary barriers are being installed on both sides of the TELTR. This will be complete by late-January, following this the barriers will be in place for approximately nine months, with one lane available in either direction. During installation and subsequent works a temporary speed limit of 70km/h will apply through the site. More information(external link)
- SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road (TELTR) Event: The eastbound lanes between Domain Road (Pāpāmoa) and Paengaroa will be closed between 5.30am and 1pm on Saturday 21 January as part of the cycle route for the Mount Festival of Multisport. The alternative route for people driving eastbound during this time will be via Te Puke Highway. Westbound lanes will remain open under usual operation. 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. Pavement work to complete the Rea Road / Tetley Road roundabout will take place as soon as there is consistent fine weather. Minor delays are expected. More information(external link). Chipsealing commences in this area on the night of Tuesday 17 January. Weather permitting, 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: Road surface repairs will continue this week. Work will take place as required between 7pm and 6am each night, temporary traffic management and a reduced speed limit will be in place.
Rotorua
- 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 mid-block between Basley Road and Tennyson Drive, and at the eastern end of Puketāwhero Park on SH30/Te Ngae Road to cross SH30/ Te Ngae Road safely. On Monday 16 January, between 7pm and 6am, temporary traffic management will be in place with a full road closure on SH30/Te Ngae Road from Iles road to Ōwhata roundabout with a detour in place. This may cause minor delays. Access for local residents and businesses will be maintained at all times. More information(external link)
- SH30/SH33 Te Ngae Junction: Construction of 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. More information(external link)
Eastern Bay of Plenty
- SH2 Nukuhou: Road rehabilitation continues at a site near Nukuhou. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, along with a temporary speed limit. Minor delays are expected.
- SH2 Waioeka Gorge: An underslip at the road edge sees a section of road under priority give-way. Care is required when driving through this area.
- SH5 Reporoa: Road reconstruction is taking place outside the Fonterra factory. Work will take place between the hours of 7am and 5pm, six days a week, until mid-February. When works are taking place the road will be closed, with a detour via Reporoa Road and Settlers Road.
Tairāwhiti Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay
- SH35 Tairāwhiti: Road closures and/or stop/go traffic management will be in place between Tolaga Bay and Ruatoria, to allow the continued recovery effort following Cyclone Hale. Expect delays when the road is open.
- 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(external link)
- SH35 Turihaua: A temporary speed limit of 60km/h will be in place in and around the freedom camping areas between Turihaua to Pouawa. This will be in effect until 1 February.
- SH2 Napier – Wairoa: Numerous slips have been cleared following Cyclone Hale, however temporary speed limits and stop/go traffic management will be in place where full road width cannot be utilised.
- 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(external link)
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 is expected to be complete by mid-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 Kakatahi: Road reconstruction has commenced at a 300m section near Macintoshs Road. Stop/go traffic management will be in place Monday to Friday, between the hours of 6am and 6pm. Work is expected to be complete early-February. Delay
- 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. Ground investigations have commenced at a site north of Hawken Road.
Waikato
East Waikato
- SH25/SH25A Coromandel: Numerous slips have been cleared following Cyclone Hale, however temporary speed limits and stop/go traffic management will be in place where full road width cannot be utilised.
- SH2 Karangahake Gorge: The speed limit throughout the 600m section between Crown Hill Road and School Road has been reduced from 80km/h to 50 km/h, until after Waitangi weekend. More information(external link)
- SH26 Morrinsville: Road reconstruction work outside the Fonterra dairy factory will commence from the night of Sunday 15 January through to the morning of Friday 27 January. The road will be closed 24 hours per day in a westbound direction only, between Canada Street and Waverley Avenue, although access will be maintained for residents, trucks and emergency services. A detour will be provided for all other vehicles.
Central Waikato
- SH1 Tirau: Road resurfacing takes place just north of Tirau between Sunday 15 and Tuesday 24 January. Work will take place at night, Sunday to Thursday, between the hours of 7pm and 6am each night. During this time northbound traffic will be detoured via SH27 and SH29; southbound traffic will use SH1 as normal.
- SH1 Lichfield: Road reconstruction work near Baldwin Road in Lichfield continues, and is expected to be complete by late-January. 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.
- SH5 Mamaku: Road reconstruction continues on the passing lane area within the Mamaku Forest Park area. Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits are in place until mid-March while this work takes place. Delays are expected.
- SH1 Ātiamuri: Traffic continues to be managed through the 4.5km site where side and median barriers are being installed south of Ātiamuri. Both north and south-bound lanes are restricted to 50km/h with stop/go in place at active work sites. Pavement works and barrier construction will finish in April 2023. More information(external link)
- SH1 Waitahanui: Road reconstruction south of Waitahanui continues, stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit are in place until late-January.
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(external link)
- SH1 Waikato Expressway – Ngāruawāhia Section: Safety and remedial works are taking a break over the holidays and temporary safety barriers have been removed to open the expressway to four lanes. Southbound traffic is now at 100km/h while northbound has a 600m section restricted to 70km/h. Work will resume in February. More information(external link)
- SH1C Hillcrest: Work has commenced at the SH1C/Cambridge Road roundabout. A temporary speed limit of 30km/h is in place, and the roundabout has been reduced to one lane in each direction. Cambridge Road and Johnsview Terrace are operating as left in/left out only. This work sees the intersection changed to traffic light controls, and is expected to be completed by mid-2023.
- SH23 Dinsdale: Due to the Dinsdale Water Supply Upgrade project, traffic management will be in place around the Dinsdale Roundabout, Rifle Range Road, and the Rifle Range Road and Massey Street intersection until mid-February, dependent on weather and project progress. Full completion of the project is expected by late-April. The northbound lane of Rifle Range Road is closed to traffic. More information(external link)
- SH3 Glenview: Work has commenced at the Glenview Bus Hub, and this is expected to take three months to complete. Temporary traffic management and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h is in place. More information(external link)
- SH21 Tamahere Interchange: Safety improvements under the Tamahere-SH21 Interchange resume with night works from Monday 16 January, for three nights. The site will be closed to traffic between 8pm and 5am with detours in place. There are two more night closures scheduled with most work to be completed under traffic management during the day. Work is expected to be complete by early-February. More information(external link)
- SH1 Maungatautari: Safety improvements continue on SH1 south of Maungatautari Road. Over 1km of flexible median barrier and changes to the road layout, including the removal of the southbound passing lane, will take place over two weeks. Work will take place between 6pm and 6am, Sunday to Thursday nights. During this time southbound traffic will be detoured via Karapiro Road, Taotaoroa Road and SH29, northbound traffic will drive past the site with a 30km/h temporary speed limit in place. More information(external link)
- SH3 Otorohanga: Road reconstruction continues at a site just south of Otorohanga. Work will take place between 7am and 7pm, Monday to Friday, and is expected to be complete late-January. During this time stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place.
- SH30 Kōpaki: Due to safety concerns Kopaki Bridge is only open to local light traffic. The detour for all other vehicles is via Kopaki Road and SH4. More information(external link)
- 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
- SH2 Maramarua: Stop/go traffic management will be in place between 9pm and 5am from Sunday 15 to Wednesday 18 January, to allow stormwater related work to take place. A temporary speed limit will be in place past the worksite.
- SH2 Mangatāwhiri: Stop/go traffic management will be in place between 9pm and 5am on Monday 16 January, to allow resurfacing to take place. A temporary speed limit will be in place past the worksite.
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(external link)
- SH3 Awakino Bypass: Final surfacing works have paused for the holiday period. Work is expected to be complete late-February. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit will be present when work is taking 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 Tongapōrutu: A slip has the road down to one lane south of Tongapōrutu, which is being controlled by traffic signals. Delays of 5-10 minutes are expected.
- SH3 Te Ara o Te Ata: Mt Messenger Bypass: A 50km/h speed limit has been introduced across a 5km section of SH3 at Mt Messenger. Lane closures and stop/go traffic management will still be in place intermittently. More information(external link)
- SH3 Onaero: Pavement rehabilitation work is ongoing between Ohanga and Onaero River Roads until early-February. Work is taking place between 7am and 7pm, Monday to Saturday. During this time stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place. Delays are expected.
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.
Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience while we complete this essential work to keep the state highway network safe, accessible and resilient.
