With colder temperatures taking hold around the country, drivings are being urged to plan for every eventuality on the roads.
Right through the middle of the wetter and colder winter months, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi maintenance crews are out and about across the network on a regular basis, repairing issues or making areas safe as required, says NZTA Bay of Plenty maintenance and systems operations manager Sandra King.
“During weather events, road conditions can change quickly, and our teams are ready to respond. Repairs will happen as soon as possible, and in some instances, we may need to install traffic management to ensure the safety of road users and our crews.
“Colder weather means the roads can be icy in shaded or alpine areas, and roads can be slippery even when it gets warmer during the middle of the day."
Sandra advises people to adjust their driving to reduce the risk of sliding.
"Slow down, increase your following distance, and avoid sudden braking or turning."
She says extra care should be taken, especially over bridges.
"Bridges cool down quicker than a normal section of road as cold air has more space around the structure to cool it down.
"That makes it easier for ice to form, which then takes longer to melt away. A bridge may be slippery even if the road either side of the bridge isn’t."
Sandra asks people to take care if they see roadworkers out in the early morning as "it’s likely the road ahead hasn’t been treated yet".
Visit NZTA's website for more information about driving during winter: nzta.govt.nz/winter-driving/
See below for a list of road work projects taking place on state highways around the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua.
Bay of Plenty
Tauranga
·SH29 Takitimu Drive Toll Road (TDTR): A reduced speed limit of 70km/h is in place while Takitimu North Link crews are working behind the barriers. More information
·Cambridge/Moffat roads: A section of Cambridge Road East from Moffat Road to St Andrews roundabout will be closed while the new intersection joining onto Moffat Road is constructed. Detours and temporary speed limits are in place for the closed section of Cambridge Road East. More Information
·SH2 Tauranga Harbour bridge on-ramp: From Sunday 4 August to Tuesday 6 August the SH2 Chapel Street on-ramp towards Mount Maunganui will be closed for expansion joint maintenance, between 8pm and 5am each night. During the ramp closure a detour will be available via Marsh Street and the Dive Crescent on-ramp to the Harbour bridge.
·SH2 Bay Link: In the coming weeks, daytime lane closures during off-peak hours will be required across the project site for surface inspections and landscaping. Nightworks will take place on Monday 29 July (from approximately 8pm to 5am) with Girven Road closed between Bayfair roundabout and Gloucester Road for surfacing works. For light vehicles heading northbound, a signposted detour via Gloucester Road, Eversham Road, Exeter Street, SH2, SH2/29A Te Maunga interchange, SH29A roundabout and Maunganui Road northbound will apply. For southbound light vehicles, a signposted detour via Exeter Street, Eversham Road and Gloucester Road will apply. Throughout the week there will also be overnight lane closures to allow the installation of cat’s eyes across the project site. These works are weather dependent. Please follow signposted detours. More Information
·SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road: A 2km section of SH2, just past the Kaituna River bridge continues to be reduced to a single lane in each direction to allow construction of the Pāpāmoa East interchange to progress. This closure will remain in place for the duration of construction, with a temporary 70km/h speed limit in place. More information.
·SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road (TELTR): The Quayside Properties Ltd-led Rangiuru Business Park Interchange project continues. Temporary barriers are in place until mid-August 2024, with 1 lane available in either direction. A temporary speed limit of 70km/h applies through the site. More information.
Western Bay of Plenty
·SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa: Median barrier and sign installation continues between Walker Road East and Wright Road. There will be intermittent stop/go traffic management which may cause longer delays. Please follow the temporary signs and directions of the traffic management team and watch for layout changes. Between Sharp Road and Lund Road there is a shoulder and lane closure in place.
·SH2 Takitimu North Link – Loop Road: An overnight concrete pour will take place near Loop Road on SH2, Te Puna, in August. While a specific date is to be confirmed, work will take place between 11pm Friday and 6pm Saturday. From Monday 5 August Minden Road will see 8 weeks of shoulder closures and stop/go during the day; this is to enable utility works to take place.
·SH2 Apata Curves: Road widening works underway. Lane shifts are in place along with speed restrictions. There will be intermittent stop/go traffic management in place which may cause longer delays. Follow the temporary signs and directions of the traffic management team and watch for layout changes.
·SH2 Ōmokoroa Road: Shoulder and lane closures with speed restrictions are in place for roundabout construction. There will be intermittent stop/go traffic management in place which may cause longer delays on Ōmokoroa Road. Please follow the temporary signs and directions of the traffic management team and watch for layout changes. More information.
·SH29 Tauriko/Redwood Lane: As part of the SH29 Tauriko Enabling Works project construction continues on Redwood Lane and SH29 between south of Belk Road and Gargan Road with a stop/go on Redwood Lane and shoulder closures and mobile operations in place on SH29. Minor delays are expected. People are asked to drive and cycle with extra care through the SH29/Redwood Lane and Belk Road area and adhere to the reduced speed limit of 70km/h. More information.
Rotorua
·SH30 Eastern Corridor Stage Two: Work has commenced on the culvert at the end of the Motion car park. The temporary bridge has been removed allowing a box culvert to be installed, a rock wall (riprap) constructed, a new footpath and a handrail. A lane is closed between the Iles Road intersection and Basley Road intersection, and the far north exit out of the Motion car park is closed. The footpath along the worksite is closed with detours in place. We expect this work to take 5 weeks, weather permitting. More information
·SH33 Te Ngae Junction to Paengaroa: From Monday 29 July minor maintenance works will be undertaken approximately 6km north of Ōkere Falls on SH33. Temporary traffic management is in place including stop/go, shoulder closures and reduced speed limits. Work is expected to take up to one week. More information
·SH36 Mangorewa Gorge: From 5 August 6 weeks of underslip and wall repairs will take place, between Mangorewa Gorge and Hamurana. The first 2 weeks of work will require daytime closures between 8am and 4pm between Pyes Pā roundabout and Hamurana. Outside of these hours, 1 lane will be closed with stop/go traffic lights in place. Access for residents will be maintained at all times and for users of TECT park from the Tauranga side North of Te Matai Road. The following 4 weeks of work will require permanent stop/go traffic management. During the full closure the detour for all vehicles travelling between Pyes Pā Road and Hamurana will be via SH29A, SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Roll Road (or Te Puke Highway), continuing to SH33 through Paengaroa, then SH30, and SH30A through Rotorua, turning right onto SH5 and rejoining SH5 Ngongotahā.
Eastern Bay of Plenty
·SH34 Kawerau – Tarawera River bridge walkway: Upgrades to the walkway over the Tarawera River in Kawerau continue until the end of next week. The old walkway is being demolished and a new steel walkway will be built. There is stop/go in place between 6.30am and 5.30pm Monday to Saturday, when there is no work taking place on site traffic signals will be operating. Scaffolding will be in place under the bridge, so the waterway can be protected, and workers can be kept safe during construction. More information
·SH35 Opape: Slip repair work will start on Monday 5 August and take 6 weeks to complete near Opape Beach Road. The work will take place between 6am and 6pm each day with a lane closure in place with stop/go traffic management. Motorists can expect delays of up to 10 minutes.
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