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.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and its contractors can hold their heads high and look back on a summer of achievement in the face of adversity, says Roger Brady, Bay of Plenty System Manager, Maintenance and Operations.
“Since the start of October we have renewed over 350 lane kilometres of road across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. This is a significant effort, especially given the wet weather experienced prior to Christmas, and the outbreak of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 that severely impacted resource availability over recent months.
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 Mr Brady.
Check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website before you travel for up-to-date information.
Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website(external link)
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. 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. Survey work at Fifteenth Ave will be happening Saturday 30 April 2022 between 8am and 9am, with one lane closed while this takes place.
SH2 Wairoa River Bridge: Resurfacing work will take place from Sunday 8 May for five nights. Stop/go traffic management will be in place between 8pm and 5am each night.
SH2 Hewletts Road: As part of the Totara Street cycleway project, night works will take place over two nights from Monday 2 May 2022. The left-turn lane into Totara Street will be closed between 8pm and 5am each night, with traffic management in place. Minimal delays are expected.
Totara Street safety upgrade(external link)
SH2 Bay Link: Asphalt will be laid on sections of the Te Maunga interchange during night shifts (from 7pm to 7am the following morning) on Sunday 1 May and Monday 2 May 2022. The left-hand lane of SH2 southbound from the Te Maunga intersection towards Sandhurst Drive will be closed while this work is underway. If you are travelling at this time, please drive with caution through the project site, reduce your speed and follow the directions provided on traffic management signage. This work is weather-dependent. If work is delayed because of weather or other unforeseen issues, it will be carried out on the next suitable night(s).
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-May 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 2 to Tuesday 31 May; a temporary speed limit will apply to all other vehicles during this time, while the strengthening product cures.
May-jor works planned for 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.
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.
SH5 Tarukenga to Ngongotahā: Barrier installation is underway between Dalbeth Road to just north of the golf course. Traffic management will be in place.
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
SH25 Coroglen: 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)
SH1 Cobham Drive: Hamilton City Council’s Ring Road – Wairere Drive extension project continues, and is expected to be completed by late-2022. From the afternoon of Friday 29 April 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.
Ring Road - Wairere Dr Extension(external link)
SH1 Tamahere: Night time closures of the Tamahere Interchange from 7pm to 6am take place from Sunday 1 May for five nights, and again from Sunday 8 May for five nights. Detours from the north are via SH26 and SH1B to Cambridge, and from the south are SH21 and SH3. Local property access will be maintained at all times.
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 east of Hamilton closed, detour in place
SH1 Maungatautari: Road surfacing and safety improvements are taking place between Karapiro Road and Maungatautari Road. Surfacing work commences Sunday 1 May, with stop/go traffic management and a reduced speed limit in place from 7pm to 6am each night.
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.
SH1 Hampton Downs: Resurfacing between Pokeno and Hampton Downs continues, with work taking place between 9pm and 5am. Works are ongoing until mid-May. At times SH1 will be down to one lane, or closed with an associated detour, in one direction.
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.
Ōhinewai lighting upgrade safety works starts tonight
SH2 Maramarua: The westbound lane of SH2 between Ferndale Road and Monument Road will be closed between 8pm and 5am each night from Sunday 1 to Thursday 5 May, and again 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.
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.
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.
