With Less than 30 days before December, Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency has announced all the state highway works for the rest of 2023, and invited all the road users to plan their trips, and most importantly to be patient once on the road.

A recipe of heavy rain and high winds followed by fine weather has meant road maintenance contractors have had to utilise a range of skills this week to ensure the state highway network has been safe and accessible.

Contractors prepared well in advance of the rain event over the weekend, says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency acting regional manager Maintenance and Operations Roger Brady.

“With the help of our partner MetService we were able to predict where and when the rain would appear. This helped us place crews in the right locations to manage any effects of the weather system.

Since the weather system passed, we have had a run of fine weather, and this has allowed our crews to get back into the renewals and rebuilding activities.

We’ve seen some of our first road rebuilds completed recently, and it’s always nice to see the final outcome of a few weeks or months of hard mahi.”

The lead up to Christmas will see plenty of activity on the Waikato and Bay of Plenty roading network, says Roger

“We now have a couple of months before Christmas where we can hopefully push on and complete a significant portion of our programme. The more we do now the easier it will be after the Christmas and New Year break.

This means people travelling across the region can expect roadworks on their route. It pays to plan ahead, and the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner journeys.nzta.govt.nz is the best place for information on the status of the state highway network.

With live updates on worksites and other road hazards, Journey Planner can help road users plot the best route to their destination."

Being informed ensures you can get to your destination on time, adds Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency acting regional manager Maintenance and Operations Roger Brady.

The state road works for November are as follows:

- Takitimu North Link Stage One: Earthworks have commenced across a number of sites. On Wairoa Road, stop/go traffic management will be in place while trucks are crossing Wairoa Road, and 30km/h speed limits will be in place at all times within the construction area. Work in this area will become more evident as we work towards completing the Wairoa Road Bridge in preparation of its opening. Minden Road has a 30km/h speed limit throughout the construction zone. A temporary haul road into the Te Mete Valley is being constructed to support the summer earthworks season. The single-lane haul road will be separated from SH2. Road users should be aware of the new road layout and temporary speed limit of 60km/h on SH2 alongside the haul road. More information.

- Western Tie-in near Loop Road: From Monday 6 November construction is starting at the western tie-in of the project where Utilities need to be moved. SH2 will be reduced to 50km/hr in the area during this work, and the passing lane heading west will be removed to allow the crews to work on the side of the road.  

- Cambridge Road: Construction work to complete the new Cambridge Road overbridge, between Bethlehem and Tauriko continues. Work to connect the bridge with Cambridge and Moffat roads and utility services will be completed in three phases. Phase 1 involves building a diversion road allowing traffic to flow during these works. While these works take place there will be slower speed limits in place on Cambridge Road, shoulder closures and when necessary, stop/go traffic management. Traffic will be diverted onto the temporary diversion road from the week of 13 November 2023. A three-month closure of a section of Moffat Road near Tauranga Adventist School commences in January 2024. More information.

- Cambridge Road East: Tauranga City Council continues slip repair work at Cambridge Road East near the St Andrews Drive roundabout. Cambridge Road is now one-lane only while the work is underway, drivers heading into the city detour via St Andrews Drive, Castlewold Drive and Wakefield Drive. Drivers coming from the city are to use Cambridge Road as usual. There is a 30km/h speed restriction past the work site. The slip was caused by recent weather and the repair team is progressing well with the construction of a retaining wall to help prevent future slips. During November, drainage works and road repair will be undertaken to restore the kerb and channel on Cambridge Road. The repair is expected to be completed in mid-December, weather dependent. 

- SH2 Bethlehem: Tauranga City Council will be replacing concrete barrier on the eastbound shoulder between Bethlehem Road and Waihi Road with guardrail, as part of the Beaumaris Boulevard flood mitigation works. Work commences on Sunday 12 November with a closure between the hours of 8pm and 6am to allow the installation of temporary barriers. Following this the shoulder will be closed for approximately three weeks, before a further single night closure to remove the temporary barriers. During the closure period eastbound vehicles will be detoured via Bethlehem Road, Carmichael Road, Millers Road, Bellevue Road and Waihi Road.

- Totara Street: Tauranga City Council will be completing road construction on Totara Street, between Maui Street and Triton Avenue, in November. When work takes place traffic will be reduced to one lane (open for travel between Mount Maunganui and Hewletts Road). Totara Street will be closed to ALL traffic heading to Mount Maunganui from Hewletts Road, with a detour via Newton Road. More information. 

- SH2 Maunganui Road: Construction commences Monday 6 November on two pedestrian maze crossings. Work is expected to be complete by late January 2024, during this time there will be lane closures for periods of time, more information on these will be provided in due course. 

- SH2 Bay Link: People travelling between Baypark and Bayfair will continue to see several road layout changes over the next few months with the project nearing completion. Closures will vary night to night, depending on site requirements and progress, and people are asked to allow extra time, follow signposted detours and drive with caution through the project site. To minimise impact, works are undertaken at night where possible with the aim to minimise disruption to people travelling through the area. More information. 

SH29 Takitimu Drive Toll Road TDTR: A reduced speed limit of 80km/h is in place while Takitimu North Link crews are working behind the barriers. 

- SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road (TELTR): Traffic management for the Tauranga City Council led Pāpāmoa East Interchange construction project has been removed until construction of the interchange itself commences in early 2024. More detail will be shared closer to the time. More information.

Acording to Waka Kotahi, The Quayside Properties Ltd led Rangiuru Business Park Interchange project continues. Temporary barriers have been installed on both sides of the TELTR, and these will be in place until approximately June 2024, with one lane available in either direction. A temporary speed limit of 70km/h applies through the site. More information.

For up to 48 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.

The above information is accurate at the time of release. Many of the above works are dependent on a number of factors, particularly weather, and may be postponed at short notice. 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 complete this essential work to keep the state highway network safe, accessible and resilient.