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 network and it is important that contractors continue to make the most of the summer months in which they're able to reseal and re-construct roads, says Cara Lauder, Waikato System Manager, Maintenance and Operations.
"Contractors have been making the most of the continued run of fine weather, which has allowed for the completion of a significant amount of work across the region. It has been rewarding for our teams to tick off a number of major milestones, including the final surfacing for the summer on the Kaimai Range and the renewal of the road on State Highway 28 at the Blue Springs.
Currently we are completing a significant amount of chipsealing throughout the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. We urge motorists to drive with care through freshly laid chipseal, and to adhere to temporary signage and any instructions from crews. While this work does cause disruption, the new seal will improve the waterproofing aspect of the road structure, ensuring the road requires less maintenance moving forward.
"We appreciate everyone's patience, especially where we have road closures and detours, or multiple worksites in the same area. This scale of work shows our investment in the region, and commitment to improving people's journeys.
"Due to the work taking place there will inevitably be delays to some journeys. As always, our key focus is to keep road users and contractor crews safe at all times," says Ms Lauder.
Check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)) before you travel for up-to-date information.
Enabling works continue on Wairoa Road and Minden Road, with service relocations and tree felling taking place until mid-March. When tree felling is taking place on Minden Road stop/stop traffic management will be in place, with minor delays expected.
This week includes service relocation work on Cambridge Road and Harrison Road. A shoulder closure will be in place, with stop/go traffic management utilised as required.
Find out more about the Takitimu North Link project
As part of the Totara Street cycleway project, night works are taking place from 8pm to 5am until late-April between Tasman Quay and Totara Street. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Minimal delays are expected.
Find out more about the Totara Streety safety upgrade(external 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. Minor delays are expected.
On Monday 7 March, various lane closures will be in place between the Te Maunga intersection and the Bayfair roundabout from 3am to 6am. The right lane of SH2 will be closed after the Te Maunga lights towards the Bayfair roundabout to install a new site access gate. The left lane around the Bayfair roundabout, from Matapihi Road through to Girven Road, will be closed to enable barrier replacement. The right lane of SH2 will be closed from the Bayfair roundabout to Exeter Street to allow for site scaffolding removal.
On Wednesday 9 March between 3am and 6am, one SH2 lane will be closed from the Te Maunga lights onto the Tauranga Eastern Link to enable additional barrier installation on the new interchange ramp.
Find out more about the Baypark to Bayfair Link project
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.
Tetley Road is temporarily closed between SH2 and Rereatukahia Pā Road for approximately two months. Detour routes are available, and only add a couple of minutes to the overall travel time. Please follow detour signage.
Find out more about the SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa project
Remaining road widening, further barrier installation, and landscaping are underway. These works are expected to be complete in March 2022.
Find out more about the SH5 Tarukenga to Ngongotahā project
Chipsealing commences on Sunday 13 March, with northbound (towards Rotorua CBD) closures from 7pm to 6am, for three nights. This is followed by southbound closures from Sunday 20 March, between 7pm and 6am, for three nights. Detours will be in place.
During the day there will be a 30km speed limit through this area, while the new seal beds in.
Plan ahead: SH30A Amohau Street Sealing Commences Mid-March
Service location for SH30 Eastern Corridor Stage Two is underway. Traffic management will be in place.
Find out more about SH30 Eastern Corridor – Stage Two
Safety improvement upgrade work continues on the northern section of Pareteiro - Sun Valley Curves. This includes widening the shoulders, upgrading the road surface, and installing roadside safety barriers.
Find out more about the SH33 Te Ngae Junction to Paengaroa
Surface repair works on SH2 between Stanley Road and Fraser Road will take place over three days next week. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place between the hours of 7am and 9pm.
HPMV strengthening work on four bridges in the Waioeka Gorge continues, and is expected to be complete in May 2022. The bridges are Owhiritoa Stream Bridge, Omaukora Bridge, Gibson Bridge and Sandys Bridge. Bridge crossing restrictions apply to heavy freight vehicles.
Road rehabilitation works continue in the Waioeka Gorge, with a 400m section of road near the historic Tauranga Bridge under stop/stop traffic management and a temporary speed limit for three weeks from Monday 7 March. Between 6am and 6pm the road will be closed for up to 30 minutes at a time, with traffic lights used to control traffic.
This week includes several chipseal sites in the Oponae and Waioeka area. Delays are expected during sealing, and for up to 48 hours afterwards as the new seal beds in.
Bridge repairs have taken place; from midnight Saturday 5th March the bridge will be open to traffic with the '80% of Class 1' weight restriction lifted for 50MAX and Heavy General Access Vehicles. Heavy vehicles remain restricted to the posted speed limit of 10km/h while crossing the bridge and all other vehicles will be temporarily speed restricted to 50km/h.
Road rehabilitation works continue on a section of road between Ngarue Road and Taitua Road East. Works will take place between 6:30am and 6:30pm until mid-March. At times temporary traffic lights will be utilised overnight, with 10-15 minute delays expected when these are active.
Road maintenance commences on SH27 between Pioneer Road and Paeroa-Tahuna Road on Tuesday 8 March, for up to five days. Detour for light vehicles via Pioneer Road, Morrinsville-Tahuna Road and Paeroa-Tahuna Road, heavy vehicles will need to use SH26 to connect to either SH2 or SH1B.
Chipsealing continues on SH25 between Whitianga and Waihi. Sealing will take place until mid-March, with multiple sites being completed each day. Delays are to be expected.
Strengthening work on the Waiwawa River Bridge (SH25) in Coroglen continues, and is expected to be complete in the second half of 2022.
Overnight closures on Waiwawa River Bridge in Coromandel (SH25)
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
Resurfacing of SH1 between Kauri Drive and the Wairakei River bridge south of the SH1/SH5 roundabout will take place from Sunday 6 to Tuesday 8 March, between 6pm and 6am. Four-way stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a temporary speed limit of 30km/h through the worksite.
Resurfacing of SH5 immediately east of the Napier-Taupō roundabout will take place on Tuesday 8 March, between 6pm and 6am. Detour via Napier Road, Crown Road, Miro Street and Broadlands Road.
Four weeks of work commence on Hātepe Hill from Sunday 6 March. The first week will see a 350m section of road at the top of the hill renewed.
Following this work, a 2km section of the slow vehicle lane up Hātepe Hill will be replaced with asphalt over three weeks.
Road rehabilitation work continues on a 400m section of road near Lochinver Station. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place from 6am until 6pm until mid-March.
The Ring Road – Wairere Drive extension project continues, and is expected to be completed by mid-2022.
Find out more about the Ring Road - Wairere Dr Extension(external link)
Four nights of full road closure in late March are planned for SH1 between the SH1/SH26 and SH1/SH21 intersections to allow gantry signage installation to take place, as part of the Waikato Expressway project.
Day-time tree-felling will take place on SH1 between the Southern Interchange and Newell Road, 9am-3pm. Dates and times will vary depending on bat monitoring results and weather.
Upcoming closures on Hamilton section of Waikato Expressway
This bridge on SH39 remains restricted to heavy traffic, with detours in place. The best alternative route for freight is to use SH3 and SH1 through Hamilton and Te Awamutu. A tender has been awarded for the necessary repair work and we will share the details of this once they are confirmed.
Tender to repair SH39 Mangaotama Stream bridge awarded
Due to a drop out between Kopaki Rd and Ohirea Rd, a priority give way is in place with a temporary speed restriction of 30 km/h.
Work commenced on Wednesday 19 January to install roadside barriers and re-position streetlights. Lane restrictions and temporary speed limits are in place. Work is expected to be complete in March.
Ōhinewai lighting upgrade safety works starts tonight
Gantry signage installations will commence in mid-March. Single direction night-time road closures will be in place through to late-March.
Upcoming closures on Hamilton section of Waikato Expressway
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.
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