Major road working projects are continuing around the Bay of Plenty this week.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and its contractors are completing an ambitious programme to improve safety and resilience of the network and whilst delays are expected, many considerations have to be made for how to complete these important works.
'Waka Kotahi monitors the weather forecast closely, and sites and timings will change at short notice. We are making the most of the summer weather and before schools go back,” says Roger Brady, Bay of Plenty system maintenance and operations manager.
'Our key focus is to keep people using the roads and our contractor crews safe. While this can mean there are last minute changes to our maintenance programmes, we provide as up-to-date information as we can.
'There will be other work sites across the network not mentioned below, although we are keen to provide advance notice of some of the more disruptive works.
'For next week, MetService is forecasting Cyclone Cody to approach the country on Sunday and affect a large portion of the northern and eastern North Island and the upper South Island,” says Mr Brady.
Waka Kotahi encourages people to check the weather forecast before travelling this weekend, with Cyclone Cody expected to hit New Zealand in the coming days.
Visit the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz) for up-to-date information for your journey.
Bay of Plenty
Western BOP
- SH2 Takitimu Drive/Waihī Road overbridge: A 500m section of SH2 Takitimu Drive under the Waihī Road overbridge is reduced to one lane in each direction until approximately the end of January, and the Waihī Road/Takitimu Drive on-ramp and off-ramp (Koromiko Street) is closed with detours in place. More information.
- SH2 Bay Link project: Reminder that SH2 between Bayfair roundabout and Te Maunga intersection is will be closed this weekend Saturday 15 January until 5.30am on Monday 17 January 2022. Detours will be in place, more information.
- SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road: The eastbound lanes between Papamoa and Paengaroa will be closed between 6am and 1pm on Saturday 22 January as part of the cycle route for the Mount Festival of Multisport. The alternative route for motorists during this time will be via the Te Puke Highway.
- SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa: Safety improvement works are back underway with four active sites between Athenree Road and Tanners Point Road, Rea Road / Tetley Road intersection and Lund Road to Sargent Drive, as well as resealing sites which will be carried out at night. More information.
Rotorua
- SH36 Rotorua to Tauranga: Closure of SH36 between Hamurana Road (Rotorua-Tauranga turn-off) and Te Matai Road will be in place for 11 nights between 7pm to 5am from Sunday 16 January to Thursday 27 January 2022 to carry out chipseal, asphalt and drainage works.
On Wednesday 19 January, during the daytime there will be two chipseal sites; the first site is between Joyce Road and Oropi Gorge Road and the second site is between Mangatoi Road and Whataroa Road.
- SH5 Tarukenga to Ngongotahā: Remaining road widening and further barrier installation, landscaping and road rehabilitation are underway. These works are expected to be complete late-February 2022.
- SH30 Te Ngae Road, Iles Road to Basley Road: Construction for the SH30 Eastern Corridor Stage Two is expected to start in late-January / early-February 2022. Traffic management will be in place.
- SH30 Te Ngae corridor (north of Rotorua Airport): Chipsealing between Cookson Road and the SH30/33 Te Ngae junction intersection on Tuesday 18 January.
- SH33 Maniatutu: Chipsealing work will be undertaken between Allport Road and Maniatutu Road on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 January.
- SH30 Ātiamuri to Rotorua: Chipsealing between Apirana Road and Bryce Road gets underway from 17 January.
Eastern Bay of Plenty
- SH2 Waioeka Gorge: HPMV strengthening work on four bridges in the Waioeka Gorge is programmed to start from 17 January 2022 and continue through to April 2022. The bridges are Owhiritoa Stream Bridge, Omaukora Bridge, Gibson Bridge and Sandys Bridge.
From Monday 17 January there will also be 14 chipseal sites in the Waioeka Gorge between Waiata Road and the Gisborne/BOP boundary.
Waikato
East Waikato
- SH29 and SH24, western (Waikato) side of Kaimai Range: Road rehabilitation works will re-commence on SH29 and SH24 on the Waikato-side of the Kaimai Ranges from 16 January. Full road closures from 8pm – 5am on 16, 17, 23 and 24 January. In between these closures there will be alternating one-way closures on 18, 19 and 20 January. During the alternating closures, westbound traffic may travel across the Kaimai between 9pm – 12pm, and Eastbound traffic between 12.30am and 4.30am.
- SH26 Paeroa roundabout: General maintenance work, including the installation of new hit sticks, will take place at the SH2/SH26 Paeroa roundabout in January. Peak traffic periods will be avoided.
- SH2 Karangahake Gorge: Night closures planned for February, details to follow. Peak traffic periods will be avoided.
- SH27 Mangawhero Stream bridge: SH27 will be detoured south of Matamata from 17 January to 14 April to allow for the completion of new stretches of road either side of the new bridge being built over the Mangawhero Stream. Traffic will be detoured along SH29, Hopkins Road and Hinuera Road, adding around 3.7 kilometres to a journey between Tirau and Matamata. More information.
Central Waikato
- SH28 Whites Road (Te Waihou walkway access): Road rehabilitation work is underway on SH28 (Whites Road), between SH1 and SH5, and will be closed to through traffic until early March. The closure will be in effect on weekdays between 6am – 6pm. All vehicles will be detoured via the SH1/SH5 roundabout at the southern end of Tirau. The car park on SH28 that provides access to the Te Waihou (Blue Springs) walk will be closed during the works.
- Resurfacing SH1 Wairakei Roundabout: Resurfacing night works will take place on SH1 between Kauri Drive and the Wairakei River bridge south of the SH1/SH5 roundabout from 23-28 January and 8-11 February, 6pm – 6am. During this time four-way Stop/Go traffic management will be place.
- SH1 Desert Road, SH4, SH41, SH47 and SH49: Contractors will be laying chipseal on SH1 Desert Road, SH4 between Manunui and National Park, SH41 and SH47 between Turangi and National Park and SH49 between Waiouru and Ohakune from mid-January. Sites will be Stop/Go with a 30km/h temporary speed limit during the works.
West Waikato
- SH23 chipseal sites: Repair work on SH23 near Raglan will start on the night of Sunday 16 January and last for approximately two weeks. Stop/Go traffic management will be in place. The first week crews will be working Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights only. During the second week starting Monday 24 January crews will be working during the day.
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.
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 (journeys.nzta.govt.nz).
Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience while we complete this essential work to keep the state highways safe and resilient.
Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:
- COVID-19 services update: nzta.govt.nz/COVID19
- Traffic updates: journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
- Facebook: facebook.com/NZTAWaikatoBoP
- Twitter: twitter.com/WakaKotahiWaiBP
- Journey planner: journeys.nzta.govt.nz
Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)
10 comments
Why?
Posted on 17-01-2022 17:11 | By The Sage
Why do these roadworks always get done over Christmas and at this time of the year? Surely it could be planned better
QUESTION !!
Posted on 17-01-2022 20:23 | By The Caveman
Are these road works being done on a 24/7 basis or is it 8am to 5pm with the equipment idle for 16 hours a day?? (Oh and the real work does not start until 9am and finishes at 3.30/4pm) Go to ANY country in the world and this sort of work is a 24/7 operation until completed ! ! ! Oh, sorry in New Zealand the contactors don't employ enough staff to do 24/7 and don't want to - spin the job out - COST the ratepayers / taxpayers more and the profit is BIGGER !!!
Why, Why, Why
Posted on 18-01-2022 11:48 | By Yadick
Is there a need to do all these roads at once and gridlock Tauranga? It appears to be a little game they like playing and as Caveman rightfully points out, why can't NZ do the works 24/7 - get it done and get out.
Because
Posted on 19-01-2022 08:45 | By acitizen
The works have to be done during christmas time. Firstly, less traffic on the road and secondly, asphalt doesn't stick to the basecourse during winter. If they lay asphalt or chipseal during winter season it will get ripped off within a year.
Answer to Yadick and Caveman
Posted on 19-01-2022 12:08 | By acitizen
Asphalt doesn't stick to basecourse during winter. If laid in winter if will be required fix up every 6 months. Each fix cost almost 12-25k. The asphalt costs around 50-70 per square meter. If they do all year around, it will increase expenses so as our taxes. So have a research before you speak or blame people for the work they have been doing for years. The asphalt they do on State Highway is built to stay for at least 12 years. Now keep quiet and be calm
@ acitizen
Posted on 19-01-2022 16:20 | By Yadick
Your information and explanation was going well until near the end. Our comment was why can't they work night crews as well and do they really need to block every route of travel all at once. Why not stagger the works. That aside, your facts, if they are, are interesting. Thank you. (By the way, neither of us commented on the time of year . . .) So keep calm and enjoy the sunshine.
@yadick @caveman
Posted on 20-01-2022 13:54 | By acitizen
Yes, they are facts as I work in the industry. The reason they do all the once is because Tauranga Pavement is sitting on volcanic ash which has a very low life which triggers frequent repairing. Due to the exponential growth in port traffic and population in the last 10 years nobody predicted that 40 years ago. So although it looks they are not spread out but trust me they are. How to fix weak pavement: Dig up the whole pavement and replace with 220 mm asphalt- rate - $300 sq m - More tax please. Now the answer to your question and a general view point of people: Why don't they do at night time: It is expansive as workers are charged at premium rates by TM companies. Again which triggers more tax.
@ acitizen
Posted on 21-01-2022 15:05 | By morepork
I just reviewed this discussion and I think a point has been missed. You argue that if work proceeded 24/7 the cost would be greater and would incur more tax. Consider this: work costs $x a day. A certain job takes 20 days. It costs $20x. Working nights costs $1.5x, so the same job done 24/7, costs $25x. We paid $5x more, as you noted. BUT, the roads were only closed for 10 days. So we GAINED 10 days of full traffic. That means commerce, generating revenue on which it pays tax. I believe the tax generated is far more than the $5x we "lost". What would petrol tax alone, on 10 days of full traffic flow be worth? Apart from the general convenience, keeping roads open generates revenue. Yadick and Caveman are 100% right; we should be minimizing closed time and working 24/7.
@morepork
Posted on 24-01-2022 13:15 | By acitizen
You need a life man. I just showed you one facet of work that gets carried out during summer. There are thousand other works associated with it such as stormwater improvement, geotech investigation, survey, NPV evaluation, Traffic engineering and many more. Now most of them have to be carried out during daytime and in summer. For example: Survey work can't be carried out during daytime due to obvious reason. Stormwater work can't be carried out at night and rainy season. So the "Math" you have done just includes one part of works not all. You do what do best and let us do what we do best. I don't go to barista to tell him how to make a coffee. It's very easy to criticize sitting behind a computer. Join the system and help us to make better.
@acitizen
Posted on 25-01-2022 14:19 | By morepork
I have a life, thanks. I was not attacking you and we were talking ONLY about road works. It would seem that working 24/7 could be advantageous. I don't disagree with the rest of your arguments; you over-reacted.
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