The 2024/25 road renewal season has taken a significant step forward this week, with road rebuilding getting underway across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. 

Road rebuild works are disruptive for a number of reasons, said Sandra King, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Bay of Plenty System Manager.   

“When rebuilding a road, we sometimes have to remove the existing layers of the road, and then build them back up one layer at a time.

“Other times, we overlay the existing road with new layers. This process is important, as it ensures our suppliers to produce a high-quality road, but it does take time. Works can also create dust, noise or vibrations. 

“Knowing what work is taking place on your route, and the traffic management that will be in place will ensure you get to your destination on time.  

“In some locations, like the current situation between Tīrau and Putāruru, the road might be closed to enable teams to deliver work in a quicker and more efficient way.” 

To plan ahead and see where disruptive works are, people can use the NZTA Journey Planner (journeys.nzta.govt.nz).

This is kept up to date in real time so you can see all disruptive activity and potential hazards on the state highway network.  

“We are focused on doing things as efficiently as possible, with the least amount of inconvenience, however there’s no doubt our work will cause disruption across the state highway network over the next 6 months. 

“This is a necessity due to the volume of work we need to complete to maintain and improve the state highway network during the crucial summer months,” said King. 

Bay of Plenty 

Tauranga 

·       SH2 Takitimu North Link Stage 1: Daytime shoulder closures and stop/go traffic management on Minden Road continue until mid-December while utility works are underway.  

·       SH2/Fifteenth Ave: A full closure of the westbound lanes on SH2/Fifteenth Ave and Cameron Road will be in place between 7pm and 5am on Sunday 15 September while concrete barriers are being installed for ongoing traffic management of this area.  

Major works to build the connection from Fifteenth Ave to SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Road will be underway from mid-September. Works involve the building of a 120m large retaining wall and earthworks, prior to the Fifteenth Ave bridge construction. One lane at SH2/Fifteenth Ave near Edgcumbe Road will be closed while this work takes place. This is likely to remain in place until mid-2026. Local people and those passing through this area should be prepared for disruption over the construction season; there will be delays and changes to the road layout as we complete this work. 

·       SH29 Takitimu Drive Toll Road: A reduced speed limit of 70km/h is in place while Takitimu North Link Stage 1 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. This work is on track to be completed late September. Detours and temporary speed limits are in place for the closed section of Cambridge Road East. More Information 

·       SH2 Bay Link: On Sunday 15 September from 8pm to 5am on the Bayfair flyover there will be an overnight road closure to complete road resurfacing. For all vehicles heading southbound a detour is available via Maunganui Road/SH29 Te Maunga. For more information and detour routes visit nzta.govt.nz/baylink-traffic. 

·       SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road (TELTR): The Tauranga City Council led project continues. 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 TELTR: The Quayside Properties Ltd-led Rangiuru Business Park Interchange project continues. Temporary barriers remain in place until late September 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 Ōmokoroa Road: Road widening and service relocation works are underway in preparation for the new roundabout. 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. Expect minor delays especially during peak times. More information.  

·       SH2 Apata Station Road: Road widening works are underway in preparation for the new roundabout. 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. Expect minor delays. 

·       SH2 Te Puna: Night works continue near the Te Puna roundabout and are expected to be completed by Friday 20 September, depending on weather. From 7pm to 5am, Sunday to Friday morning there will be stop/go traffic management in place. During the day, a reduced speed limit will be in place due to changes in the road's surface levels. Ramps will help traffic transition through the site. More information. 

·       SH29 Tauriko/Redwood Lane: SH29 Tauriko/Redwood Lane: Project construction continues on multiple work sites on SH29 with shoulder closures and mobile operations in place. People are asked to drive and cycle with extra care on SH29, particularly between Redwood Lane and Belk Road and between Gargan Road and Cambridge Road, and adhere to the reduced speed limits. Through the Tauriko Village/Cambridge Road section people can expect to see site establishment works including vegetation clearance, surveying and ecology works taking place in the coming week, with shoulder closures and intermittent mobile traffic operations. Planned night works from 8pm Monday 16 September and 8pm Tuesday 17 September will see stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h in place between 8pm and 5am each night to extend safety barriers on SH29 north of Redwood Lane. Minor traffic delays are expected. More information. 

·       SH29 Kaimai Range: The Kaimai Range will be closed overnight each night from Sunday 15 September to Thursday 19 September – inclusive (5 nights), from 8pm to 3.30am, to allow road resurfacing and maintenance to take place. The closure points on the western side of the Kaimai Range are at the SH29/24 and SH29/28 intersections and on the eastern side of the Kaimai Range at the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection. Detours are available for all vehicles southbound via Rotorua (except overnight on Monday 16 September) and northbound via SH2 Karangahake Gorge. Emergency services will have access at all times, residents can access their property from the relevant side of the closure. More information 

·       SH2 Pongakawa: Road rehabilitation continues on SH2 near Pongakawa School Road. This work is expected to be completed late September, with contractors on site from 6am to 6pm Monday to Saturday with stop/go traffic management in place, delays are to be expected. 

·       SH2 Ōtamarākau: Road rehabilitation has started on SH2 near Ōtamarākau Valley Road. This work is expected to take 6 weeks to complete with crews on site from 6am to 6pm Monday to Saturday with stop/go traffic management in place, delays are to be expected. 

Rotorua 

·       SH30 Eastern Corridor Stage Two: Construction works are continuing north of the Iles Road intersection. While this work is underway the northbound lane will be closed between the Iles Road and Basley Road intersections, including the footpath. We expect this work to be finished this week coming, weather permitting. SH30 Te Ngae Road will be closed for 5 nights, between 8pm and 5am, from Sunday 15 September to 5am Friday 20 September, between Basley Road and Ōwhata roundabout. Linemarking is scheduled for the new seal overnight on 23 September, weather dependent. Detours for these works will be in place via Vaughan Road/Ōwhata Road. A temporary speed limit of 50km/h remains in place between Tumene Drive and the Ōwhata roundabout until resurfacing is completed. More information 

·       SH36 Mangorewa Gorge: On Monday 16 September SH36 will be closed overnight between 8pm and 4am to allow a culvert to be replaced. While the road is closed, the detour for vehicles travelling between Pyes Pā Road and Hamurana will be via SH29A, SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road (or Te Puke Highway), continuing to SH33 through Paengaroa, then SH30 and SH30A through Rotorua, turning right onto SH5 and rejoining SH36 at Ngongotahā.  
Other work is progressing well between Mangorewa Gorge and Hamurana. Stop/go traffic lights remain in place from 8am to 4pm each day from the Mangorewa track to just south of the worksite and also near the Hamurana intersection. This work is due to be completed by the end of September. More information 

Eastern Bay of Plenty 

·       SH34 Kawerau: Road rehabilitation work will begin at Onepū near Kawerau on Monday 16 September, taking 5 weeks to complete, weather permitting. SH34 will be closed between Charteris Lane and the SH30 intersection between 8am and 4pm each day. There will be a detour in place via SH34 for all vehicles.  

·       SH38 Rangitaiki Bridge: Work will start next week on bridge repairs and are expected to take up to 3 months to complete. At times during the work there will be short periods of stop/stop traffic management in place and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h. 

·       SH35 Opape: Slip repair work continues near Opape Beach Road and is expected to finish in late September. The work will take place between 6am and 6pm each day, with a lane closure and stop/go traffic management. Motorists can expect delays of up to 10 minutes. 

·       SH2 Waioeka Road, near Ōpōtiki: From Monday 16 September, road rehabilitation will take place between Warrington Road and Clark Ross Road, this work is expected to take 6 weeks to complete. On weekdays between 7.30am and 4.30pm there will be 4-way stop/go traffic management in place at the SH2 Matchitt Road and Apanui Road intersection. 

·       SH2 Waioeka Gorge: Strengthening repairs continue on the Manganuku Bridge. The repairs, which include steel works, pad repairs and water blasting will take approximately 3 months with completion at the end of October. While the work is underway a temporary speed limit of 30km/h will be in place throughout the worksite. 

Tairāwhiti Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay 

·       SH5 Napier to Taupō: Recovery alliance Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) continues to progress safety improvements, as well as repair, recovery and maintenance activities at multiple sites on SH5 between Eskdale and Waipunga. Overall, please expect cumulative delays of up to 20 minutes if travelling the whole of SH5 (Napier to Taupō). More information.  

Waikato 

SH1 Tīrau to Putāruru 

·       First Closure: Underway until Friday 4 October, from the roundabout just south of Tīrau (SH1/SH5) to the intersection of SH28 with SH1 just north of Putāruru. The detour is via SH28 and SH5. Both Tīrau and Putāruru townships will not be affected by these closures, these are still fully open for business as usual.  

·       Second closure: From Ātiamuri (SH1/30 intersection) to Wairakei (SH1/SH5 intersection). Closed during the day from Monday 16 September to Friday 4 October between 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday. The road will re-open at nights from 6pm - 8am and on Sundays. Detours for light vehicles (i.e. all vehicles you can drive on a Class 1 licence) is via SH30, SH32 and Poihipi Road down to Wairakei Drive. This will add approximately 40km and 27 minutes extra to journeys. For all heavy vehicles, the detour will be via SH30 and SH5 which is an additional 62kms and approximately 42 minutes. Outside closure hours the road will be open in both directions with a temporary speed limit in place. 

·       Third closure: From SH29 Piarere to North Tīrau: 29 September for 3 weeks (night closure only). Detour via SH29 and SH28. 

·       SH32 Tokoroa to SH30 Ātiamuri: Early October – early November 2024 
There will be more closures along SH1 over the next 16 months as part of intense rebuild and repair work.  All work before Christmas 2024 will be north of Taupō. You can keep up to date by signing up to the e-newsletter: more information 

East Waikato 

·       SH25: As we move into drier weather motorists can expect an increase in activity as our teams work to repair remaining storm damaged sites on SH25 around the Coromandel Peninsula. Repairs to an underslip at Tramway Gully between Hikuai and Opoutere are underway, with stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit in place 24/7 to ensure safety for both the crew on site and people driving through. This work is expected to be finished later this month. Drainage improvement works in the area will start soon after and are expected to take a few weeks to complete. Outside of working hours stop/go traffic management and a shoulder closure will be in place. Slip repairs are also underway between Kūaotunu and Wharekaho. A temporary speed limit and stop/go traffic management will be in place during working hours, with a shoulder closure outside working hours. Work is expected to start later this month at Pumpkin Hill and near Matarangi. Another slip repair in Te Kouma is due to start in October, with work expected to finish in November.  More information  

Central Waikato 

·       SH41 Tokaanu: Due to a washout, the road is down to one lane under temporary traffic lights, with a 30km/h temporary speed restriction in place. Works to repair the washout continue and will be completed in early October. 

West Waikato 

·       SH1 Waikato Expressway - Ngāruawāhia section: Safety improvements and remedial works required to get the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway up to 110km/h standard continue, with the aim of being completed by Christmas. All traffic is currently using the southbound lanes, to allow for work to be completed faster on the northbound lanes. For the next several weeks a detour is underway where SH1C and SH1 merge. SH1C is closed to northbound traffic after the Lake Road off-ramp, with all northbound SH1C traffic from Te Rapa/Horotiu turning at the Northern interchange, heading south on SH1 to turn around at Resolution interchange and proceed north on SH1. The detour will add about 8 minutes to journeys. Detour map 

·       SH31 Puti Bluffs: Work to repair a slip on SH31 at Puti Bluffs near Kāwhia continues. Work is expected to finish in early October. Work will be taking place Monday to Friday between 7am and 5pm each day, however this is dependent on tidal conditions. 

·       SH26 Morrinsville Road: Two weeks of enabling works start Monday 16 September between Platt Road and Tauwhare Road near Eureka from 9am to 5pm. There will be stop/go traffic management in place. Once the enabling works are finished the road rebuilding will begin, this is expected to take 8 weeks to complete. There will be a 1-way westbound detour in place 24/7 via Tauwhare Road and Platt Road.  

·       SH1 Cambridge Road to Hautapu: On Saturday 14 September weather permitting (with Sunday 15 September as a reserve day) and Saturday 22 September weather permitting (with Sunday 23 September as a reserve day), between 12pm and 4pm, SH1 will be closed between the northern interchange (Cambridge Road) and SH1B interchange (Hautapu). This closure is to allow Northpower to use helicopters to pull transmission wires across SH1 as part of work on the National Grid. Detours will be in place. More information. 

·       SH1 Karapiro: From Sunday 15 September for 5 nights contractors will be undertaking maintenance activities including wire rope barrier repairs, water cutting and survey works between Fergusson Gully Road and Keeley’s Reserve. Work will take place between 8pm and 5am each night. Delays of up to 20 minutes at a time can be expected due to stop/stop traffic management in place while works are underway. 

·        SH1/SH29 Piarere intersection: Great progress has been made on the new roundabout and motorists can look forward to travelling over it shortly. On Tuesday 24 September we’re opening 2 temporary approaches to the roundabout, while work continues on the third (Tīrau) approach. To enable the traffic switch, a SH1 southbound lane closure is required so a temporary tie-in to the intersection can be constructed. The 1-day SH1 southbound closure will take place from 6am (subject to weather), impacting Hamilton to Tīrau traffic. Motorists will be required to detour via SH29, SH27, to SH1 adding around 12 minutes to journey times. Northbound traffic will not be impacted, and access will remain for residents, school buses and emergency services. Once the temporary tie-in is completed, the SH1 southbound lane is expected to re-open early Tuesday evening, with the SH1 (Cambridge) and SH29 roundabout approaches in action. Night works will also be carried out on Monday 23 September with stop/go in place from 6pm until 7am to undertake line marking ahead of the closure. There will also be a short period where traffic will be stopped to enable the switch, between 4am and 5am on Tuesday 24 September. A temporary speed limit of 60km/h remains in place around the project site to protect road workers and ensure the safety of everyone travelling. More information 

North Waikato 

·       SH1 Pokeno interchange to Mercer interchange: There will be a full southbound closure on Sunday 15 and Monday 16 September between 9pm and 5am for road resurfacing. Traffic will still be able to travel south using one of the northbound lanes.  

·       SH2 Baird Road to Irish Road: Stop/go traffic management will be in place on Monday 16 September between 9pm and 5am for road resurfacing.  

·       SH2 Okaeria Road to Steen Road: Stop/go traffic management will be in place on Sunday 15 and Monday 16 September between 9pm and 5am for road resurfacing.  

Taranaki 

·       SH3 Waitara Road, Bell Block: A small section of Waitara Road will be closed from Sunday 15 September to progress safety improvement work on SH3 in Taranaki, this work includes stormwater improvements, the relocation of underground services, and pavement works. During the closure a detour will be in place along Richmond Road, the detour will add an extra 5 minutes to journeys. SH3 through the intersection will remain open to traffic with a 50km/h temporary speed limit in place. More information 
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 NZTA Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz). 
 
NZTA thanks motorists for their patience while we complete this essential work to keep the state highway network safe, accessible and resilient. 

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey.

Keep up to date with:

• Traffic updates: journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
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• X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/nztawbop
• Journey planner: journeys.nzta.govt.nz
• Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)