People travelling through the Baypark to Bayfair area are being asked to slow down and take extra care in the lead up to Christmas with road closures and detours in place to allow crews to start applying the final, smooth layer of road surface.

“We know it’s an incredibly busy time of year for everyone, and the rush for the perfect Christmas gift has certainly started,” says NZ Transport Agency, Waka Kotahi regional manager infrastructure delivery for Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Jo Wilton.

“We’re seeing people travelling at high speeds through the area, and we’re asking everyone to stick to the speed limits, be patient and play their role in ensuring everyone gets home safely."

Jo says with the project entering its final surfacing stage, people will continue to see a variety of road closures and detours in place on any given night.

“We understand that road closures and detours are a nuisance, and we continue to work at night to minimise disruption to people travelling during the day," says Jo.

“Our teams on the ground are working extremely hard to prepare the road and apply as much of the final surface as possible ahead of the Christmas shutdown on Friday, December 22.

“Applying the final surface layer is like icing a cake, and it’s crucial to follow a sequence of steps to ensure its smooth application."

Jo says surfacing is also affected by wet weather, and they are preparing the road ahead of scheduled surfacing to buy  enough time in case bad weather hits.

“Preparation of the surface involves scraping off a layer of the road surface in advance, so we can move through quicker when applying the final layer of asphalt."

This will mean that some sections of road will appear partially finished.

“We are working hard towards completing the remaining elements of the Bay Link project in December, with surfacing being one of the final pieces of work remaining for completion in the new year.

“We are committed to having the permanent layout in place with all lanes available to the travelling public by the Christmas shutdown."

This means no more traffic switches, and the SH2 Bayfair flyover, SH2/SH29A Te Maunga interchange, local roads and walking and cycling connections available for use.

“Some finishing work will push into early 2024 such as completing the final road surfacing, installing median barriers, signage, handrails and cultural artworks."

Most of these works will have a minor impact on the travelling public, requiring overnight road and lane closures.

The site will remain under temporary traffic management until the final surfacing is finished.

Crews will be off the road network from midday Friday, December 22. 2023.

SH2/SH29A Te Maunga interchange with a lane in each direction open underneath the interchange. Photo supplied.

Some crews may return straight after the statutory holidays to continue with work that does not impact the roading network, and work will ramp up again from Monday, January 8, 2024.

What people can expect over the next weeks in the lead up to the holiday season:

• Overnight road and lane closures on all roads as part of the Bay Link project to allow for preparation and application of final surfacing. Road closures and detours will be in place between 7pm and 6am every night across the project site and vary night to night, depending on site requirements and progress.
• SH2 Hewletts Road flyover closure to safely install some gantry signage on SH2 between Spur Avenue and Bayfair Shopping Centre’s Countdown entrance.
• SH2 northbound closure from Sandhurst interchange to SH2/SH29A Te Maunga interchange to safely install gantry signage on Tauranga Eastern Link.
• Access to and from Matapihi and Owens Place will be constrained. This may include entry/exit via a new temporary access point connecting Titoki Place with Maunganui Road.
• Access to Baypark, Bayfair Shopping Centre and HomeZone will be available at all times, but detours may be required between 7pm (or later) and 6am.
• Access for people walking and cycling will be retained. The underpass is expected to reopen in December, with finishing works to resume in early 2024.

People travelling while this work is underway, are asked to allow extra time, follow signposted detours and drive with caution through the project site.

Details, including timing and associated closures and detours, will be communicated closer to the time and are available at nzta.govt.nz/baylink-traffic.

Find out more at nzta.govt.nz/baylink.