Road contractors continue to progress significant maintenance programmes across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty state highway network.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and its contractors are completing an ambitious programme to improve safety and resilience of the state highway network and it is important contractors continue to make the most of the summer months in which they are able to reseal and re-construct roads, says Bay of Plenty System Manager, Roger Brady.
“We are on the home stretch; although we still have a substantial amount of work to complete before the end of March across both the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. The recent spell of wet weather has slowed progress on some sites, and what work we can do is being completed in hot and muggy conditions, which is tough on the crews.
“There are a number of road closures taking place this week, most significantly over the Kaimai Range. Long-term closures continue on State Highway 28 at the Blue Springs, and on State Highway 27 where the new Mangawhero Bridge construction is progressing well.
“We are continuing to work under the requirements of the red traffic light setting, and our contractors are doing well to deliver their programmes of work during a period of relative uncertainty. As always, our key focus is to keep road users and contractor crews safe at all times,” says Mr Brady.
Check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)) before you travel for up-to-date information.
Bay of Plenty
Tauranga
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SH2 Hewletts Road: As part of the Totara Street cycleway project, night works from 8pm to 5am will be underway from Sunday 20 February until late-April between Tasman Quay and Totara Street. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Minimal delays are expected.
Totara Street safety upgrade (Tauranga City Council)(external link)
- SH2 Bay Link: a small section of Girven Road (between Gloucester Road intersection and the Bayfair roundabout) has been reduced to one lane in each direction until late-March, to allow construction of the permanent road along the two central lanes of Girven Road. Delays are expected.
Baypark to Bayfair Link
Western Bay of Plenty
- SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa: Safety improvement works continue at four active sites: between Athenree Road and Tanners Point Road, Rea Road / Tetley Road intersection, Lund Road to Sargent Drive and Apata Station Road to Esdaile Road.
SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa
- SH2 Katikati: PowerCo vegetation contractors will be completing tree felling and related tree maintenance work between Beach Road and Hyde Street, Katikati on Sunday 13 March. Works will take place between 9am and 4pm, traffic will be stopped when trees are felled. Minor delays are expected.
- SH2 Pongakawa: Night-time chipsealing will take place on a short section of SH2 in Pongakawa, near the BP petrol station, next week (weather permitting). Expect minor delays during sealing, and delays of up to 20 minutes for 48 hours afterwards as the new seal beds in.
Rotorua
- State Highway 5 Tarukenga to Ngongotahā: Remaining road widening and further barrier installation, landscaping are underway. These works are expected to be complete in March 2022.
SH5 Tarukenga to Ngongotahā
- State Highway 36 and SH5 Ngongotahā: From Sunday 13 February, four chipseal sites will be undertaken on SH36 between Dalbeth Road and Waikaraka Street. Following this six chipseal sites will be undertaken on SH5 between Henderson Road and Barnard Road.
- State Highway 30 Te Ngae Road, Iles Road to Basley Road: Service location for the SH30 Eastern Corridor Stage Two is expected to start mid-February 2022. Traffic management will be in place.
SH30 Eastern Corridor – Stage Two
- SH30 Horohoro: Road rehabilitation works continue on a 500m section of road between Collier Road and Apirana Road. Works will take place between 6:30am and 6:30pm until mid-February. At times temporary traffic lights will be utilised overnight, with 5-10 minute delays expected when these are active.
- State Highway 33 Te Ngae Junction to Paengaroa: Work has recommenced at the Pareteriro Sun Valley Curves, either side of the passing lane. Traffic management will be in place.
SH33 Te Ngae Junction to Paengaro
Eastern Bay of Plenty
- SH2 Waioeka Gorge: HPMV strengthening work on four bridges in the Waioeka Gorge continues, and is expected to be complete in April 2022. The bridges are Owhiritoa Stream Bridge, Omaukora Bridge, Gibson Bridge and Sandys Bridge.
Road rehabilitation works continue on a 750m section of road north of Oponae. Work is expected to be complete by late-February 2022.
- State Highway 35 Raukokore Bridge: A bridge inspection will be undertaken between 9am and 4pm on Monday 14 February. During this time the bridge will be closed, with openings on the hour and half hour to allow traffic through/
Further bridge inspections will be completed on SH35 and SH2 (between Ōpōtiki and Waioeka) throughout the rest of the week
- SH35 Cape Runaway: Road rehabilitation works commence on a section of road between Ngarue Road and Taitua Road East. Works will take place between 6:30am and 6:30pm until early-March. At times temporary traffic lights will be utilised overnight, with 5-10 minute delays expected when these are active.
Waikato
East Waikato
- State Highway 29, western (Waikato) side of Kaimai Range: Road rehabilitation and resurfacing works commence Sunday 13 February for up to two weeks to complete two separate sections on SH29. The road will be fully closed between 8pm and 5am on both Sunday 13 and Monday 14 February. From Tuesday 15 February, when works are taking place, there will be alternating one-way closures. During the alternating closures, westbound traffic may travel across the Kaimai Range between 9pm and 12am, and eastbound traffic between 12.30am and 4.30am.
SH29 Kaimai Range road works to continue after Waitangi Day
- SH2 Karangahake Gorge: Night works planned for late-February, details to follow. Peak traffic periods will be avoided.
- SH27 Mangawhero Stream Bridge: A detour is now in place on SH27 until 14 April to allow for the completion of new stretches of road either side of the new bridge being built over the Mangawhero Stream. Traffic is being detoured along SH29, Hopkins Road and Hinuera Road, adding around 3.7 kilometres to a journey between Tirau and Matamata.
SH27 detoured south of Matamata from 13 January to 14 April
Central Waikato
- SH28 Whites Road (Te Waihou walkway access): Road rehabilitation work continues on SH28 (Whites Road), between State Highway 1 and SH5, and the road is closed to through traffic until early-March. The closure will be in effect on weekdays between 6am and 6pm. All vehicles will be detoured via the SH1/SH5 roundabout at the southern end of Tirau. The car park on SH28 that provides access to the Te Waihou (Blue Springs) walk will be closed during the works.
Stage one is now complete, and crews are now underway on stage two (south of the bridge).
State Highway 28 (Whites Road) road closure
- Resurfacing SH1 and SH5 Taupō: Resurfacing night works will take place on both SH1 and SH5 near Taupō, commencing Sunday 13 February:
- Resurfacing of SH1 between Kauri Drive and the Wairakei River bridge south of the SH1/SH5 roundabout will take place from Sunday 13 to Tuesday 15 February, between 6pm and 6am
- Resurfacing of SH1 East Taupō Arterial between Centennial Drive and Napier Road commences Sunday 13 February for five days, with work taking place between 6pm and 6am
- Resurfacing of SH5 immediately east of the Napier-Taupō roundabout will take place on Wednesday 16 February, between 6pm and 6am.
Delays are expected while these works take place, with detours in place for the work on the East Taupō Arterial.
SH1 East Taupō Arterial road works
- SH1 Desert Road: Road rehabilitation work continues on a 1.2km section of road located between the Rangipo Intake Road and the Tukino Access Road. Stop/Go traffic management will be active between 6am and 6pm, with a reduced speed limit in place until late-February.
- SH5 Tirau: Road rehabilitation work will commence on Monday 14 February on a 250m section of road located immediately east of the Waihou River Bridge on SH5, south of Tirau. Stop/Go traffic management will be active from 6am to 6pm, and a reduced speed limit will be in place until mid-March.
West Waikato
- SH1 Tamahere: A full road closure will take place to move traffic on to a new bridge at the Southern Interchange of the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway. The closure will take place from 6pm Tuesday 15 February until 6am the following morning.
Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway
- SH1 Karapiro chipsealing: Night-time chipsealing will take place on SH1 in Karapiro (between Hydro Road and Gorton Road), from Sunday 13 February. Please drive to the posted temporary speed limit and maintain a safe distance behind other vehicles.
North Waikato
- SH2 Maramarua: A multi-day full road closure between the SH1/SH2 interchange at Pokeno, and SH2/State Highway 25 roundabout near Mangatarata is planned in the coming weeks (dates and times are still being finalised). This will allow various maintenance activities to be completed at the same time, including resurfacing and culvert repairs. More information will be shared as soon as details are finalised.
- SH1 Ohinewai: Work commenced on Wednesday 19 January to install roadside barriers and re-position street lights. Lane restrictions and temporary speed limits will be in place between 7am and 7pm each day. Work is expected to be complete in March.
Ōhinewai lighting upgrade safety works starts tonight
- SH1 Ngaruawahia: Road resurfacing and safety improvement work will commence late-February. Single direction road closures will be in place through to late-March.
For 24 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.
Some of the above works are weather dependent and may be postponed in the case of poor weather. For up-to-date information on road works, traffic, detours and delays, motorists are encouraged to visit the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)).
Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience while we complete this essential work to keep the state highways safe and resilient.
