Major roadworks on SH30A Rotorua this weekend: expect delays

Work on a major reseal of SH30A in Rotorua gets underway this weekend and motorists are advised to expect delays and allow extra time to get around the city.

NZ Transport Agency contractors will be resealing a stretch of SH30A (Amohau Street and Te Ngae Road), between Fenton Street and Sala Street from 7pm Friday March 4 until Sunday March 6.

The work will focus firstly on the lanes heading towards the CBD (west/north) on Friday night, and on the lanes heading toward Lynmore and the Rotorua Airport (east/south) on Saturday night.

• From 7pm until 10pm on Friday one of the two lanes heading into the CBD will be closed.
• From 10pm that night until 7am both west/north-bound lanes will be CLOSED. Traffic heading in this direction will be detoured onto Sala Street and Fenton St.
• From 7am until 9am on Saturday one of the lanes heading into the CBD will be reopened.
• After both lanes reopen at 9am speed restrictions will be in place for the day due to the loose chip, and to allow the new surface to bed in.

Work on the eastbound lanes heading towards Lynmore and the Airport will start at 6pm on Saturday with the closure of one lane.

• From 10pm that night until 7am on Sunday morning both the east/south bound lanes will be CLOSED and traffic will be detoured via Fenton Street and Sala Street.
• The road will reopen to one lane at 7am on Sunday, with both lanes east/south bound lanes expected to be reopened by 9am.
• 50km/h speed restrictions will remain in place for the day due to the loose chip, and to allow the new surface to bed in.

All work, including roadmarking and sweeping of excess loose chip,  is expected to be complete by Sunday evening .

The works have been planned so that access to businesses on this section of road, such as Pak’nSave, will be unaffected during their opening hours.
The Transport Agency’s Bay of Plenty journey manager, Nigel D’Ath says it is vital that people allow an extra 10 to 15 minutes to travel around Rotorua during the work.

“We understand road works can be a real inconvenience which is why we are giving people as much information as we can so they can be prepared for the delays this job will create,” he says.

 “The surface on this section of road is severely cracked and in need of a new layer to protect the road structure underneath.      

“The seal on a road is like the paint on your house – it keeps water out of the structure underneath. And like paint, a road’s seal also breaks down over time and starts to let water in, which is what has been happening on this section of road. While minor work has been completed over the last few years to slow the process down, the time has come for a new layer of seal."

During the work contractors will also be laying a special kind of chip that provides more skid resistance to the corner near Hinemaru Street (outside the Sudima Hotel) to improve safety in this area.

The reseal work is weather dependent and cannot be completed if it is raining, or expected to rain shortly after sealing. It will be postponed until Sunday and Monday nights if required.

The Transport Agency thanks people for their patience during the works.

People can get information on road works and detours in the region they are in, or travelling to by checking www.nzta.govt.nz/summerjourneys(external link), by calling 0800 444 449 or following the Transport Agency  on Facebook or Twitter.

Download a high-res graphic showing the work sites and detour routes. [PDF, 1.2 MB]