Waikato and Bay of Plenty state highway works for October and November

Following the Labour Weekend holiday period crews are back working across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty state highway network.

However, the recent fine weather is not predicted to continue, and road users should be aware that road conditions can change at any time, whether due to roadworks or weather.

The volume of roadworks across the network will increase between now and Christmas, as contractors look to progress their programmes before the next holiday period, says Roger Brady, Bay of Plenty System Manager at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

“The next eight weeks will see a significant amount of work completed throughout the region. Road users can expect disruption and longer journey times; however, contractors will minimise this where possible using detour routes, or by working at night when traffic volumes are reduced.

“The immediate forecast indicates a mostly wet week ahead. As such road users will need to be prepared for wet weather conditions, potentially at short notice. Driving to the conditions of the road is important to ensure everyone reaches their destination safely.

“The weather may also impact where crews undertake work on a given day, as they will head to areas that are dry and ready for sealing. As always, we recommend road users check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner before travelling, as this provides real-time updates on the network,” says Mr Brady.

In total Waka Kotahi is undertaking a programme of over 700 lane kilometres of road resealing and rebuilding across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty region, to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2023.

Bay of Plenty

Tauranga

• Takitimu North Link Stage One: A range of construction activities are taking place between Te Puna and Bethlehem. This includes stop/go traffic management in place at Te Mete Road and Wairoa Road, and a number of shoulder closures and temporary speed limits. Cambridge Road will be closed between Moffat Road and St Andrews Drive on Saturday 29 October, between 7am and 7pm, to allow tree felling activity to take place. When trees are being felled traffic will be stopped on Moffat Road. More information.
• SH2 Chapel Street: Inspection and maintenance of bridge expansion joints will take place from Sunday 30 October, for a period of six weeks. Works will take place between 7pm and 6am, Sunday to Thursday nights each week. During this time single lane closures and temporary speed limits will be in place. This work is weather dependent.
• SH2 Elizabeth Street: Road surface repairs will be undertaken on the southbound lanes approaching the Elizabeth Street roundabout, on Friday 4 November. Work will take place between the hours of 7pm and 6am; one lane will be available for traffic during this time.
• SH2 Hewletts Road: As part of the Tauranga City Council Totara Street cycleway project, work at the intersection of SH2 Hewletts Road and Totara Street is underway and will be completed by mid-November. Construction work includes signalising the existing slip lane and upgrading the island to provide a fully signalised crossing for shared path users. These works will take place between Tasman Quay and Totara Street from Sunday to Thursday night between 8pm and 6am. Eastbound traffic along Hewletts Road will be maintained on both lanes but will be reduced to one lane intermittently during this time. Minimal delays are expected. More information.
• SH2 Bay Link: There will be single lane closures on SH2/Maunganui Road between Concord Avenue and Exeter Street, and on the approaches to Bayfair roundabout, from approximately 7pm to 6am, Sunday 30 October to Tuesday 1 November to allow for concrete barrier slip form construction, backfilling behind new concrete barriers and reinstatement of the temporary barriers around the northern ramp of the Bayfair flyover. In addition, during the night shift on Sunday 30 October, there will be a partial closure of the Bayfair roundabout between Matapihi Road and Girven Road. Road users travelling from Matapihi Road towards Girven Road or Pāpāmoa/TEL, and from TEL/Pāpāmoa towards Girven Road, will need to follow a signposted detour via SH2/Maunganui Road northbound, the Golf Road roundabout and SH2/Maunganui Road southbound. This work was delayed due to heavy rain and remains weather dependent. If it is delayed due to weather or other unforeseen issues, it will be carried out during the next suitable shift. Drivers are reminded of the new layout at the Bayfair roundabout. More information.
• SH29 Takitimu Drive Toll Road: Utility upgrades will take place behind barriers until Christmas. A reduced speed limit of 80km/h will be in place while contractor crews are working behind the barriers. More information. Road surface repairs will be undertaken on the southbound lanes approaching the SH29/SH29A/SH36 roundabout, on Thursday 3 November. Work will take place between the hours of 7pm and 6am; one lane will be available for traffic during this time.
• SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road (TELTR): For the Tauranga City Council led Pāpāmoa East Interchange project, traffic on the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road just north of the Kaituna River Bridge is back to three lanes. Whilst earthworks continue on the south side of the road, both eastbound lanes are open and normal speed applies. One westbound lane is open whilst work continues in the outer westbound lane, speed past the worksite is set at 70km/h. This layout will remain in place until April 2023. More information. Inspection and maintenance of the bridge expansion joints on the Kaituna River Bridge continues between the hours of 9am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. During this time one lane will be closed in a single direction, with a 70km/h temporary speed limit past the site.

Western Bay of Plenty

• SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa: Safety improvement works continue at five active sites: between Athenree Road and Tanners Point Road, Tanners Point Road to Tuapiro Road, Rea Road / Tetley Road intersection, Morton Road intersection and Apata Station Road to Esdaile Road. Minor delays are expected. More information.
• SH29 Kaimai Range: Road surface repairs will take place near Omanawa Road on Monday 31 October, between 7am and 7pm. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place. 

Rotorua

• SH5 Tarukenga: Chipsealing commences east of Rotorua on Monday 31 October, between the hours of 7am and 7pm. Where works are taking place stop/go traffic management and a reduced speed limit will be in place.
• SH30 Eastern Corridor Stage Two: Multiple worksites are active between Iles Road and Puketāwhero Park to excavate the shared service trench for the relocation of underground services and installation of the new watermain. Temporary traffic management will be in place with no left turn lane out of Basley Road to SH30/Te Ngae Road, and no left turn from the SH30/Te Ngae Road westbound lane into Tennyson Drive; minor delays are expected. The upgraded footpath on the lakeside between Iles Road to Tennyson Drive, heading east on SH30/Te Ngae Road, is now open. Works continue in the area and pedestrians are asked to take care. Minor delays are expected. More information.
• SH30/SH33 Te Ngae Junction: Construction of the safety improvements continue with excavation, stabilising and pavement work underway on the western side, with a shoulder closure in place. At times there will be minor traffic delays, and people are asked to take extra care while travelling through the site. More information.
• SH33 Te Ngae Junction to Paengaroa: Safety improvement upgrade work continues near Pareteiro - Sun Valley Curves passing lane. Temporary traffic management is in place with a contra flow or stop/go and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h during work hours. When the site is unattended, the worksite will have a shoulder closure and a temporary speed limit of 50km/h. There are also ongoing shared path work between Mourea Bridge and Ōkere Falls. Temporary traffic management sees a combination of shoulder closures and stop/go as required. This may cause minor traffic delays. More information. 

Eastern Bay of Plenty

• SH35 Motu River: 24/7 single lane access has been reinstated, with traffic signal control in place, along with a 30km/h temporary speed limit. There will be periods where traffic is stopped at each end to allow works to take place across the full road width. Works will continue until late-October. More information.
• SH35 Chipseal: Chipsealing continues, work will take place during the day, between the hours of 7am and 7pm, Monday to Friday. When works are taking place stop/go traffic management and a reduced speed limit will be in place. The majority of this work is expected to be complete by mid-November.
• SH35 Tōrere: Road rehabilitation commences late-October, immediately north of Tōrere. Work is expected to take four weeks to complete, during this time stop/stop and stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place. Delays of 30 minutes or more can be expected.
• SH30 Awakeri to Whakatāne: Pavement and utility site investigation work along SH30 between the SH2/SH30 and Shaw Road/SH30 intersections continues. Works will be undertaken across a number of sites, at night or during the day (depending on the specific task), under stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit.
• SH2 Pekatahi Bridge: Bridge maintenance will take place in November, which will involve day-time closures for two-three days. During this time a detour will be available via Whakatāne. More information to follow closer to the time.
• SH2 Waimana Gorge: Road rehabilitation continues just south of Fraser Road. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place until late-October.
• SH2 Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki: Service relocation work between Pohutukawa Drive and Paerata Ridge Road continues. Stop/go traffic management will be in place during the day when this work is taking place. More information.
• SH2 Waioeka Gorge: A section of the Waioeka River is in close proximity to the road edge. A shoulder closure is in place, and remedial works have commenced.

Tairāwhiti Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay

• SH35 Kopuaroa: The site remains under stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h at all times. Main improvement works to realign the highway onto more stable ground are underway. Delays are to be expected. More information.
• SH2 Esk River Bridge: The bridge over the Esk River on SH2, north of Napier, has been reduced to a 30km/h temporary speed limit due to recent assessments identifying the bridge does not have capacity for sustained increased travel demands. Overweight vehicles are required to reduce their speed to 10km/h within their own lane, or to follow the restriction on their permit if it is lower. More information.

Manawatū-Whanganui

• SH4 Auraki Stream Road Retreat: Work to retreat the road away from a slip adjacent to the Mangawhero River is currently underway and will continue into 2023. For the duration of the works the road is reduced to one lane with traffic control operating under traffic signals. Works are generally undertaken away from the road, however there are occasions where traffic signals are used to keep drivers safe from hazards, with delays of up to 10 minutes.
• SH4 Te Oreore slip: Following a slip in 2019, a temporary road is in place at Te Oreore, with a 30km/h temporary speed limit in place.
• SH4 Upokongaro to Raetihi: Crews continue to clear material from numerous slip sites. Traffic is generally reduced down to one lane past these slip sites during working hours. At sites 150m north of Burrell Road and 3km north of Burrell Road, SH4 is reduced down to one lane due to underslips with priority give way and 30km/h speed limits in place. At Aberfeldy, 1km north of Parihauhau Road, speed is reduced to 50km/h due to an underslip compromising the edge line of the northbound lane.

Waikato

East Waikato

• SH25 Coromandel: The Coromandel state highway chipseal programme continues, and crews will be on the network until late November. Expect delays due to multiple sites under stop/go traffic management, one-way detours and/or temporary speed limits.
• SH25 Kaimarama: Road rehabilitation work at the intersection of Kaimarama Road commences Monday 7 November. Work will take place between 8am and 5pm, with stop/go traffic management in place and a temporary speed limit through the site for the duration of the works.
• SH25 Hikaui Bridge: The bridge is closed to all traffic from 8pm to 6am, Sunday to Thursday, until late-November. This closure is necessary while essential and significant maintenance work is completed. During this time the bridge will be open to traffic during the day with temporary traffic management and a speed restriction of 10km/h in place. More information.
• SH2 Karangahake Gorge: Road resurfacing will be undertaken from Sunday 30 October for one week, between 8pm and 5am each night. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place on Sunday 30, and the road will be closed each night from Monday 31 October to Thursday 3 November. Plan ahead, as the detour route via SH27/SH24/SH29, adding more than two hours to travel time.

Central Waikato

• SH28 Okoroire: Road rehabilitation work at the intersection of Okoroire Road continues, and is expected to be complete by mid-November. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place.
• SH1 Tirau: Road surface repairs will take place on SH1 Main Road in Tirau, on Thursday 3 November, between the hours of 8pm and 5am. During this time stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place.
• SH1 Lichfield: Road reconstruction work continues near Baldwin Road in Lichfield. Northbound light vehicles detour via Wiltsdown Road, Old Taupo Road, Waotu Road, Arapuni Road, Arapuni Street and Princes Street. Northbound heavy vehicles will be sent past the site via stop/go traffic management. More information.
• SH1 Putaruru: Resurfacing continues between the Oraka Stream Bridge and Central Street. Between the hours of 7pm and 5am, Sunday to Thursday nights, the road will be closed; light vehicles can detour via Domain Road and Harris Road, heavy vehicles will need to use SH5/SH30. Work is expected to be complete early-November.
• SH1 Ātiamuri: Safety improvements on a 4.5km stretch of SH1 between Maroa Road and Tram Road, south of Ātiamuri, are continuing. A 50km/h temporary speed limit is in place through the site and stop/go traffic management with a 30km/h temporary speed limit may also be used at times between 9am and 3pm Monday to Friday. More information.
• SH1 Desert Road: The road is down a single lane near Tree Trunk Gorge Road, due to washouts. Temporary traffic signals are in place along with a temporary speed limit; road users are reminded to comply with the traffic management on site. Repair work is underway; there will be short periods of stop/stop traffic management to move machinery to/from site. At a later date there will be day-time road closures as part of this work, more details to follow.

West Waikato

• SH1B Puketaha: SH1B east of Hamilton is closed at the southern end of Telephone Road while options for its long-term future are investigated. Detour via Holland Road, Waverley Road and Seddon Road. More information.
• SH1 Waikato Expressway - Ngāruawāhia Section: Work continues, with night-time closures in place from Sunday 30 October. The closures will take place from late-October for 10 nights (excluding Friday and Saturday nights) per direction, with northbound closures in place first. The detour for light vehicles will be via Great South Road, over-weight and over-dimension loads will need to use SH1B. Following these closures there will be a combination of lane closures, contraflow and additional night-time closures to complete the remainder of the work. More information.
• SH39 Pirongia: Bridge strengthening work commences next week at the Whatiwhatihoe Bridge south of Pirongia, stop/go traffic management will be in place between Monday 31 October and Friday 11 November. More information.
• SH30 Kōpaki: A localised drop out between Kōpaki Road and Ohirea Road means temporary traffic signals are in place to control traffic, along with a temporary speed restriction of 30 km/h. Repairs are complete at a slump near Kōpaki Bridge; however, this site remains under a temporary speed restriction. Truck drivers are reminded that the existing Kōpaki rail overbridge has a maximum weight limit of 6 tonnes. If compliance with the load restriction doesn’t greatly improve, the potential risk to both road and rail users will force us to close the road to all traffic. The detour route between Maniaiti/Benneydale and Te Kuiti is via Kōpaki Road and SH4. More information.
• SH4 Taumarunui: Following storm damage, a section of road north of Taumarunui, between the State Highway 43 intersection and Okahukura Bridge Road is under stop/go traffic management, controlled by traffic signals. Enabling works have commenced, and plans for the long-term repair of this road are currently being designed.

North Waikato

• SH1 Hampton Downs: A series of overnight ramp closures are taking place until Thursday 15 December. Due to the narrow width of the on and off ramps, a full closure is needed for the barrier work to ensure the safety of site staff and to enable construction vehicles to safely enter and leave the site. The recommended detour when the southbound ramps and the northbound onramp are closed is to use the Te Kauwhata Interchange, travelling along Rodda Road and Whangamarino Road. For the northbound offramp closures the recommended detour is to head north past the interchange to Dragway Road, use the turnaround and then access the interchange using the southbound offramp. More information.

Taranaki

• SH3 Piopio: A slip has the road down to one lane between Mangarongo and Paekaka Roads, which is being controlled by traffic signals. Delays of 5-10 minutes are expected. More information.
• SH3 Awakino Bypass: Final surfacing works are taking place from November. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit will be in place.
• SH3 Awakino: A slip south of Awakau Road has the road down to one lane controlled by traffic signals and a 30km/h temporary speed limit. There are various other slips in the gorge that are currently not affecting traffic, however drivers are asked to drive with caution, and expect delays at the single lane section.
• SH3 Te Ara o Te Ata: Mt Messenger Bypass: Stop/go controls are operating daily, with delays of up to 15 minutes expected. The lane closure allows for Bypass enabling works. More information.
• SH3 Uruti: Road reconstruction is underway between Uruti Road and Mimi Road, with work expected to be complete mid-November. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit are in place; delays are expected. More information.
• SH3 Waitara: Northbound light vehicle traffic is being detoured via Waitara to enable stormwater works to be carried out for Te Ara Tūtohu Waitara to Bell Block safety improvements. Heavy vehicles and all southbound vehicles continue to use SH3 under stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit. Delays of between 5-10 minutes can be expected. Sealing work is being completed next week, before the detour is lifted, with stop/go remaining on SH3. More information.

For up to 48 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.

The above information is accurate at the time of release. Many of the above works are dependent on a number of factors, particularly weather, and may be postponed at short notice. 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(external link)

Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience while we complete this essential work to keep the state highway network safe, accessible and resilient.