Work gets underway later this week on the construction of a new slow vehicle bay on State Highway 2 at Kotemaori.
A stretch of SH2, near the intersection with Kakariki Farm Road, will be under traffic management while the slow vehicle bay is constructed. Stop/go traffic control, along with a temporary 30km/h speed limit will be in place from later this week.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency anticipates the 260 metre slow vehicle bay will allow another place for road users to safely pass slow vehicles.
NZ Transport Agency is reminding road users to expect delays of up to five minutes as a result of the traffic management and to take that into consideration when planning journeys.
The slow vehicle bay is part of NZ Transport Agency’s Connecting Tairawhiti, which includes a programme to improve passing opportunities, build retaining walls and bring added resilience to parts of SH2 and SH35 around the region.
This bay at Kotemaori will provide a safer opportunity for passing as road users head north to Wairoa. It will help reduce driver frustration, enable people to safely pass slower vehicles and continue their journey in a timely way.
In addition to the construction of a slow vehicle bay, NZ Transport Agency is also making safety improvements to Kotemaori School’s access on SH2, including a safe right-turn bay to access the school.
These works will start after school has finished for the year, to minimise the impact on the school from this work.
The project is expected to be completed in April 2024.
This stretch of SH2 has seen a lot of construction and maintenance activity over the past few months as the region recovers and rebuilds from Cyclone Gabrielle. We understand the additional temporary stop/go traffic management will cause delays but we’re confident the slow vehicle bay will ultimately lead to more efficient and safer travel on this part of the journey.
