A $1.9 billion government investment in “vital” Bay of Plenty roads is great news for the region, say Western Bay mayors.

The Government will progress work on three roads of national significance, State Highway 29 in Tauriko west, Takitimu North Link (TNL) stage one from Tauranga to Te Puna, and stage two from Te Puna to Ōmokoroa.

Construction of stage one, a four-lane expressway, is already under way and is due to open in 2027.

The Ōmanawa bridge on SH29 will be replaced and Welcome Bay Rd, Turret Rd and 15th Ave will be improved.

Options to strengthen connections on SH2 Waioeka Gorge between the East Coast and Eastern Bay of Plenty will also be developed.

The investment will boost economic growth and unlock land for thousands of houses in the region, said Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell in a statement.

Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale says including Turret Rd is key to addressing a significant bottleneck. Photo / Alex Cairns

Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale said it’s great news for the city and Western Bay of Plenty that the TNL and SH29 projects are earmarked for progression as part of the National Land Transport Programme.

“The inclusion of improvements to the 15th Ave/Turret Rd corridor is also key because this work will address one of the city’s significant bottlenecks, which is currently impacting network congestion in Tauranga,” he said in a statement.

Tauranga City Council endorsed the 15th Ave to Welcome Bay business case at a meeting last week. It is seeking 51 per cent of the $82.6 million cost from New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

The business case will go before the NZTA board in October.

Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer said the council is pleased TNL stage two and SH29 will be funded.

“They’re vital for our district, our region and the country.”

Getting freight to and from the Port of Tauranga efficiently has a huge economic impact, he said.

Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer says SH2 and SH29 are vital for the region. Photo: Supplied.

Congestion on SH2 has been a “huge frustration” for residents who are caught in “long tailbacks” every day so both stages of the TNL will be a major help, Denyer said.

There would be significant implications for the low cost, low risk projects in the district that the Government has removed funding for, he said.

These were smaller projects such as widening roads or improving safety at intersections, that the council would normally get a 51 per cent subsidy for from NZTA.

If the council wasn’t getting the subsidy it would only be able to do half of the projects it normally completes, Denyer said.

“The Government has made it clear to NZTA that we expect every dollar of transport funding to be spent wisely on the projects and services needed in the Bay of Plenty,” said Uffindell.

“The Bay of Plenty region needs significant investment in transport infrastructure to enable economic growth and productivity.”

The Bay of Plenty transport investment is part of the $32.9b National Land Transport Programme for 2024-2027 that sets out how the NZTA will spend its funding to improve or maintain the country’s transport network.

The Tauriko Enabling Works site at SH29 and Redwood Lane. Photo: Supplied.

Money from these investments comes from the National Land Transport Fund, a pool of funds mainly sourced from fuel taxes and road user charges.

More than $640m will be invested in maintenance and pothole prevention for highway and local roads.

It includes resealing and rehabilitation works on 349km of state highway to prevent potholes from forming.

Drysdale and Denyer welcomed the investment in maintenance.

“We don’t yet have the detail about how that investment will be applied, but extra spending which improves our transport network service and resilience would be a significant plus in helping us deal with increasing traffic flows and the impacts of climate change,” said Drysdale.

Denyer said: “We’ve heard from the community that maintaining roads and filling potholes is important to them.”

Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford said: “We know this funding will provide welcome relief to constituents and those who travel through our region. With this funding we can continue to build the roading infrastructure our area needs while ensuring that we are reducing travel times and boosting productivity.”

How the funding is split

Tauriko West SH29 – Estimated cost $264m

SH29 Ōmanawa Bridge – $174m

SH29 stage one – route protection $6.5m and SH29A stage three pre-implementation $72m

Takitimu North Link stage one – cost $655m with $4m of road revocation funded in this announcement

Takitimu North Link stage two – $93m

SH2 Waioeka Gorge – $110m

*These figures are provisions within the National Land Transport Programme and unless already approved, are subject to change.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.