The day is here. Motorists are officially able to drive 110km/h on the Tauranga Eastern Link.

The TEL is one of two highway motorists are able to use the increased speed, with parts of the Waikato Expressway being the second.

The changes follow an extensive consultation process in which the NZ Transport Agency received almost 11,500 submissions from the public and stakeholders.

NZ Transport Agency Director of Safety and Environment Harry Wilson says these two roads have been selected for the new limit because they are two of the safest roads in New Zealand.

He says both roads have safety features such as median-barriers, no crossing roads, no tight curves and two lanes in each direction, which significantly reduces the risk of serious collisions occurring.

'Both the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road and the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway have been designed and will be maintained and operated to the necessary standards to safely support 110km/h travel speeds.

'The Transport Agency, on behalf of the Government, is committed to making New Zealand roads safer and reducing the number of people seriously injured and killed in crashes.

Large signs have been installed on the two sections of the Tauranga Eastern Link and the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway where the 110km/h speed limits are being introduced in order to ensure that drivers know when they need to slow down when the speed limit returns to 100km/h.

'It's important that people remember that all speed limits are the maximum speed for safe travel in ideal conditions – they are not the minimum, and they are not a target.

"It's important that drivers adjust their travelling speeds depending on the weather conditions, traffic volumes and other factors. At many times on many roads the safe speed for travel will be lower than the posted limit.”

On the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road the 110km/h speed limit section is between the Paengaroa roundabout and the Domain Road interchange, and on the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway the 110km/h speed limit section is between the Cambridge Southern and Tamahere interchanges.