Road contractors across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty state highway network are completing the last renewal sites of the 2021/22 season, which has seen a significant programme of work delivered under testing circumstances.
Contractors are making the most of the fine spell of weather that has settled in after the long weekend period, says Cara Lauder, Waikato System Manager, Maintenance and Operations.
“The mostly fine, consistent weather is helping contractors plan their final work with confidence, and this is helping night time temperatures stay warm enough to allow asphalt surfacing to take place at the least disruptive time of the day for most road users.
We do have a small number of sites to complete over the upcoming weeks, and we ask that road users continue to pay attention to all temporary traffic management signs and temporary speed limits. These are in place to keep both crews and road users safe while work takes place.
While there may be fewer roadwork sites on the network now, we will continue to aim to minimise any disruption caused. We do recommend road users check the Journey Planner before heading out to ensure they have the latest up-to-date information on road conditions,” says Ms Lauder.
Check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website before you travel for up-to-date information(external link)
Bay of Plenty
Tauranga
- Takitimu North Link Stage One: Wairoa Road will have stop/go in place for trucks crossing, a diversion road is live with a speed limit of 30km/h. Shoulder closures will be in place throughout the week on Cambridge Road and Minden Road. On SH29 Takitimu Drive Toll Road a reduced speed limit of 80km/hr will be in place while there is work occurring behind the barriers.
Takitimu North Link
- SH2 Wairoa River Bridge: Resurfacing work will take place from Sunday 15 May for five nights. Stop/go traffic management will be in place between 8pm and 5am each night, with a temporarily reduced speed limit.
Updated plans for work on key routes into Tauranga
- SH2 Hewletts Road: As part of the Totara Street cycleway project, night works will take place from late May through to July 2022, from 8pm to 5am each night between Tasman Quay and Totara Street. Eastbound traffic will be reduced to one lane through the intersection. Minimal delays are expected.
Totara Street safety upgrade(external link)
- SH29 Tauriko West: Investigation works to provide the information needed for the next steps of the Tauriko West enabling works are underway and expected to take place through to early-June 2022. Works will mostly take place overnight between 7pm and 6am, with generally one active work site at any time. It is expected that most works will be completed over one to two nights at each location. Traffic management will include shoulder and lane closures.
Tauriko for tomorrow – the transport system(external link)
- SH29 Omanawa River Bridge: Enabling works have commenced ahead of bridge strengthening. Over-weight and over-dimension permits to be suspended from Monday 9 to Tuesday 31 May; a temporary speed limit will apply to all other vehicles during this time, while the strengthening product cures.
Updated plans for work on key routes into Tauranga
- Te Puke Highway: Strengthening work on the Kaituna River bank near the intersection of the Te Puke Highway and Pah Road will recommence on Monday 16 May. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place for up to three weeks.
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. Minor delays are expected.
Tetley Road is temporarily closed between SH2 and Rereatukahia Pā Road until late-May. Detour routes are available via Marshall Road, and only add a couple of minutes to the overall travel time. Please follow detour signage.
SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa
Rotorua
- SH33 Te Ngae Junction to Paengaroa: Safety improvement upgrade work continues on the section north of Pareteiro - Sun Valley Curve passing lane. This includes widening the shoulders, installing a wide centreline and installing roadside safety barriers.
SH33 Te Ngae Junction to Paengaroa
Waikato
East Waikato
West Waikato
- SH1 Cobham Drive: Hamilton City Council’s Ring Road – Wairere Drive extension project continues, and is expected to be completed by late-2022. The Wairere Drive extension, from Cambridge Road to Cobham Drive, will be partially open, with road users able to turn left-in or left-out to/from Cobham Drive.
Wairere Drive extension to open(external link)
- SH1 Tamahere: Southbound night time closures at the Tamahere Interchange from 7pm to 6am take place from Sunday 8 May for five nights. Detours are via SH26 and SH1B to Cambridge. Local property access will be maintained at all times.
SH1 Tamahere closures in May
- SH1B Puketaha: SH1B east of Hamilton is temporarily closed at the southern end of Telephone Road. Detour via Holland Road, Waverley Road and Seddon Road.
SH1B Telephone Road closure extended
- SH1 Maungatautari: Road surfacing and safety improvements are taking place between Karapiro Road and Maungatautari Road. As overnight temperatures are dropping the surfacing work will look to move to a day-time operation from Monday 9 May. Between the hours of 9am and 3pm southbound traffic will be detoured via Karapiro Road, Taotaoroa Road and SH29; northbound traffic will use SH1 as normal.
Safety improvement work commences at night on Sunday 15 May and is expected to take one week to complete. Stop/go traffic management will be in place along with a temporary speed limit.
Additional travel time is to be expected while these works are completed.
Maintenance and safety improvements on SH1 between Cambridge and Piarere
- SH39 Mangaotama Stream Bridge: 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
- SH30 Kopaki: Work has commenced on the drop out between Kopaki Road and Ohirea Road, temporary traffic lights are in place to control traffic, along with a temporary speed restriction of 30 km/h.
North Waikato
- SH1 Hampton Downs: Resurfacing between Pokeno and Hampton Downs continues, with work taking place between 9pm and 5am. Works are ongoing until late-May. At times SH1 will be down to one lane, with either stop/go traffic management in place, or a one-way detour in place for southbound vehicles. Temporary speed limits will be in place when works are being completed.
Pokeno to Hampton Downs asphalt resurfacing works to start Sunday
- SH1 Ōhinewai: Overnight northbound lane closures are planned from Monday 9 May, for up to five nights, between 7pm and 7am. This is to remove the temporary steel barriers. All northbound traffic will be detoured from Taupiri interchange, across the Tainui Bridge at Huntly, northbound along Te Ōhākī Road, across the Glen Murray bridge at Rangiriri and via local roads to the Rangiriri interchange. This detour route via Waikato District Council roads is in place for General Access vehicles. The route can be used by Overweight Vehicles who hold a permit for the route from Waikato District Council. Vehicles without permits to use the nominated detour route (such as Overweight, 50MAX, HPMV and Over Dimension) can detour via SH2/27, provided they hold the relevant permits. All other heavy vehicles are not permitted to use the detour or alternative route, they will need to avoid the detour and plan their journeys for outside the closure times.
SH1 Waikato Expressway safety improvements completed at Ōhinewai
- SH2 Maramarua: The westbound lane of SH2 between Ferndale Road and Monument Road will be closed between 8pm and 5am each night from Sunday 8 to Friday 13 May, to allow new street lighting to be installed. Stop/go traffic management will be in place with a temporary speed limit.
Taranaki
- SH3 Te Ara o Te Ata: Mt Messenger Bypass: A schedule of five one-hour closures will run between 8am and 5pm from Monday 16 May to Wednesday 18 May. These closures will allow for Bypass project enabling activities.
On Thursday 19 May the road will be closed from 9am to 5pm. This is a full closure of the road, with no access throughout the day. This closure is needed to recover a truck that has rolled over the bank.
From Friday 20 May, stop/go controls will operate daily until mid-June, with delays of approximately 15 minutes expected. These measures enable a lane closure to allow for Bypass enabling works.
Plan ahead for disruptions as early works for Mt Messenger Bypass begin
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. Please take extra care through all work sites and allow extra time for your journey.
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(external link)
Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience while we complete this essential work to keep the state highways safe and resilient.
