The first new coats of seal have been applied onto the Bay of Plenty state highway network, as fine weather has allowed crews to get out on the roads.

Drivers should err on the side of caution when driving through fresh chipseal, and follow all signage on site, especially temporary speed limits, says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Bay of Plenty system manager Roger Brady.

"After a new layer of seal has been applied, it takes time for the seal to ‘bed in' to the existing road surface.

"Particularly during the first 48 hours there will be loose chip on the road surface, before the road is swept and linemarked.

"During this time temporary speed limits will be in place to ensure the safety of road users, and to ensure the seal can settle successfully.

"At times we will have several sites on a stretch of road either recently sealed or in the process of being sealed.

"Please slow down, respect our crews and enjoy your journey. We work hard to minimise delays at sites, and will use detours or other types of traffic management to minimise the number of times people have to stop due to roadworks.

"Our crews are working hard to deliver the largest programme the region has seen; and everyone involved is up for the job. However, crews will be off the road by midday on Friday, October 21, ahead of Labour Day Weekend, to ensure everyone can get to their holiday destination as quickly as possible.

"Crews will be back on the road from the morning of Tuesday, October 25, so for those extending their holiday we recommend you keep your eye on the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner (www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz) before heading home, as this provides real-time updates on the network."

In total Waka Kotahi is undertaking a programme of over 2450 lane kilometres of road resealing and rebuilding across the country, 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 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 16 October to Thursday 20 October to allow for backfilling behind new concrete barriers and reinstatement of the temporary barriers around the northern ramp of the Bayfair flyover. 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. Night works will take place from 7am Monday 17 October through to 6pm Tuesday 18 October, and Tuesday 25 October, starting 6pm through to 6am Wednesday 26 October. A section of the Kopurererua Valley cycleway remains temporarily closed while services are relocated. There is an alternate track parallel to the closed section and signposted for track users. This work is expected to be completed in October. A reduced speed limit of 80km/h will be in place while our contractor's crews are working behind the barriers. More information.
• SH29 Tauriko West: Underground service location work is taking place on SH29 between the Omanawa Road intersection and the Takitimu Drive Toll Road roundabout, as well as on Cambridge Road, Whiore Avenue and Taurikura Drive. Work will take place from Sunday 16 October to Friday 28 October and will be carried out at night between 7pm and 6am. Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit will be in place due to lane and shoulder closures. It is expected that most works will be completed over one to two nights at each location. More information.
• 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.

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: Maintenance activities including road surface repairs, subsoil drainage installation and chipsealing are taking place this week. Most work will take place at night, depending on the location of the work there will be either shoulder or lane closures, and potentially stop/go traffic management in place. Minor delays are expected.

Rotorua

• SH30 Eastern Corridor Stage Two: Night works will take place tonight, Friday 14 October, to allow contractors to realign the temporary traffic barrier on the westbound side of SH30/Te Ngae Road between Iles and Basley Roads. A full road closure of SH30 between Iles Road and Ōwhata Road will be in place from 8pm to 6am.There will be a detour along Vaughan Road for all vehicles. Local eastbound traffic will be able to use the right hand turn at the Iles Road intersection. Please follow the detour signs in place. Minor delays are expected. 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. More information.

• SH30/SH33 Te Ngae Junction: Construction of the safety improvements continue with excavation, stabilising and pavement work underway. During the day and when crews are on site temporary traffic management will be in place, with either two lanes open or a stop/go or contraflow set up in place. There is also a reduced speed limit of 30km/h through the site. This work is weather dependent. At times there will be minor traffic delays, and people are asked to take extra care while traveling through the site. More information.

• SH33 Te Ngae Junction to Paengaroa: Safety improvement upgrade work continues near Pareteiro - Sun Valley Curves passing lane. During the day and when the crew are on site, either two lanes will be open or stop/go will be in place – depending on the works. A temporary speed limit of 30km/h applies. Outside of work hours and 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 works between Mourea Bridge and Ōkere Falls. Traffic management will be a combination of shoulder closures and stop/go as required to carry out the works safely. Allow extra time. 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 mid-October. More information.

• SH35 Chipseal: Chipsealing continues near at the eastern end of the BOP region. 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.

• 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 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. This work is expected to be complete by the end of the month. 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.

• SH30 Whakatāne: Resurfacing work between SH2/Gateway Drive/Phoenix Drive and Whakatāne Landing Bridge continues, and will be complete by late-October. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place on SH30 between 6pm and 6am Sunday to Thursday; during this time Coastlands residents will have a signposted single direction detour. Temporary speed limits will remain in place during the day when there are uneven surfaces.