Supplying water to Tauranga with the first pipes along Cameron Road goes back well over 100 years.

Now contractors are working below the surface to replace the old clay pipes through the city.

This work is below the surface and requires careful co-ordination around other services.

While it may appear there is not a lot of work happening above ground, the work is progressing below.

In July 1911, it was reported that the ‘biggest municipal scheme in the Bay of Plenty yet' was complete.

This was the crucial project behind delivering a supply of water to Tauranga residents, from the Waiorohi River in Oropi.

Construction of the pipeline and track came at an important time for Tauranga, with the population increasing and the area progressing.

Nearly 25 kilometres of mains were laid from the source to Cameron Road and into town, through picturesque landscapes and tricky ravines.

Once the mains were turned on, this supply provided the 5,000-strong Tauranga residents with about 240,000 gallons or nearly 908,500 litres every 24 hours.

More modern work on Tauranga's water supply by the Cameron Road Joint Venture. Photo: Supplied.

Wastewater pipe replacement

Some pipes underneath Cameron Road are still made of clay and are over 100 years old.

"We are taking the opportunity to prepare for growth and replace and upsize the old wastewater pipes," says a Tauranga City Council spokesperson.

"This upgrade of our wastewater assets will help to realise the Te Papa Spatial Plan, supporting more housing and business developments along the Cameron Road corridor. Around 3km of sewer pipes underneath Cameron Road and connecting to properties and side streets will be upgraded."

The wastewater upgrade of the main pipeline along Cameron Road from Hamilton Street to Elizabeth Street, and Second Avenue to Sixth Avenue is complete.

The wastewater lateral connections down Fifth Avenue, Arundel Street and Fourth Avenue is underway. Once complete with the lateral connections, the construction team will return to the main wastewater pipe in the central median between Elizabeth Street and First Avenue, to excavate a deep trench and replace the old asbestos wastewater pipe, which they were unable to pipeburst previously.

"Please take extra care travelling through this construction zone and keep to the 30 km per hour speed limit. It is in place for the safety of all road users and our construction workers. We thank you for your patience and understanding while these essential upgrades are underway."

Story-telling through Hau

Image from Ahi Kaa - Cameron Road Development Framework (November 2021).

Cameron Road has a rich cultural history with plenty of meaning to many. Mana whenua are helping to capture the stories and events of the past to support the Cameron Road upgrades project.

By working within the overlay of trails and clearings, mana whenua identified 10 areas from Hamilton and Harington Streets, through to 17th Avenue that capture the essence, or ‘hau', of the events that make up Cameron Road's cultural history.

The areas are located based on historic and current activity, and each area is represented by a cultural pattern and detail. This could relate to some of the historical activities undertaken in the area or after people who once worked the area.

Mana whenua representative Buddy Mikaere says seeing the cultural aspects and placemaking brought together through the design processes has been an important part of this project.

'For example, māra refers to the cultivated gardens that once covered extensive areas of Te Papa, so Haumāra is an area within the project between Tenth Avenue and Thirteenth Avenue that will have a focus on cultivation. The areas are located based on both historic and current activity capturing the essence of the place and reflecting the past, present and future of each area,” says Buddy.

Keep an eye out along Cameron Road as Tauranga City Council start to share, through signage and interpretation panels, some of the stories which are part of the richness of Tauranga's history.

Reaching milestones on Cameron Road upgrades

Although Tauranga has recently experienced unseasonably wet weather throughout construction, upgrading works are steadily advancing along Cameron Road.

Significant progress has been made since work began in September 2021, bringing to life the project's overall purpose to connect the community with our city centre, support its revitalisation and to make it a great place for people to live, work, learn, play and visit.

Tauranga City Council Director of Transport, Brendan Bisley says the upgrades are on track to be completed by end of 2023.

'The wastewater upgrade is now 98 per cent complete. Three kilometres of wastewater pipe has been upgraded, replacing old, undersized pipes, some of which were more than 100 years old,” says Brendan.

Streetscaping works, including block pavers and garden beds, at the Ninth Avenue intersection. Photo: Supplied.

Cameron Road's new two-way cycleway and walkway near Twelfth Avenue. Photo: Supplied.

The streetscape upgrade along Cameron Road is making steady progress. Some of new facilities are emerging, including new footpaths, driveways, two-way cycleway and garden beds. Once each section is complete, the team will continue up the road on the eastern side, then move across the road on the western side and back down again.

Across the whole construction site, more than 8,100m2 of asphalt has been laid for footpaths and cycleways and 5,300m of concrete for new kerbing. The streetscape upgrade between Hamilton Street and Elizabeth Street is now complete, as are the new signalised pedestrian crossings near Spring Street and outside Tauranga Boys' College.

Now that most of the streetscape and stormwater work on the eastern side of Cameron Road is complete, the next phases of work will focus on the major intersections at Thirteenth Avenue, Fifteenth Avenue, and Elizabeth Street. Upgrades are also underway on most of the smaller intersections.

More information on work in Zone A - Harington Street to Sixth Ave, Zone B - Sixth Ave to Twelfth Ave, and Zone C - Twelfth Ave to Seventeenth Ave ccan be found here

"We ask drivers to please allow extra time and plan their journeys accordingly," says a council spokesperson.

For more information about what's happening with the latest construction works, please visit the website.