Road rehabilitation night works near Whakamārama in the Western Bay of Plenty on State Highway 2 will start in early March at Te Karaka Stream bridge, and people can expect significant delays.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi advises works will begin on Sunday March 3 and continue until Sunday, March 10, weather dependant.

The work will be carried out at night between 8pm and 5am to minimise disruption to road users, however delays will occur.

This work involves milling out and resurfacing the road, including new road markings.

For the first three nights, March 3-5, stop/stop will be needed between Barrett Road and Te Karaka Drive. During this time there will be a one-hour traffic hold with a 10-minute traffic release to allow 60m sections to be milled and resurfaced.

On March 6,7 and 10, traffic control will revert to stop/go. There will be no works on Friday and Saturday, March 8-9.

Road users can expect significant delays during these night works. Temporary speed limits will be in place during the day due to the worksite having a different level to the normal road, with ramps transitioning traffic between the sites, where required.

Road works have been a feature of people’s journeys across the Bay of Plenty this summer. We understand this has been frustrating for some drivers, but making the most of the warm and dry weather means our roads will be stronger and more resilient for longer.

Nightworks between Pahoia and Ōmokoroa intersection – March 3

Please note that there will also be maintenance works on two separate sites between Pahoia and the Ōmokoroa intersection overnight on Sunday March 3 which will also impact on journey times.

Given the high volume of maintenance works on March 3, it is worth considering delaying travel if you can, or allowing plenty of time to reach your destination.

We recommend checking Journey Planner before you begin your travel - https://journeys.nzta.govt.nz/