About 110 lane kilometres of state highway in the Bay of Plenty will either be rebuilt or resealed over coming summers, with a significant portion of this planned to take place over the next six months.

“The Bay of Plenty state highway network is heavily used every day by a variety of road users, including freight operators, commuters, and tourists,” says Sandra King, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Bay of Plenty system manager.

“To complete the volume of road renewals, and because it’s road works season, people can expect some disruption to their travels this summer. Road rebuilding can often involve replacing all or most of the structural road layers. It’s intensive work with some sections under construction for extended periods of time.

“We’re always looking at how we can minimise disruption by thinking differently and challenging ourselves and our suppliers to be as effective as possible. This includes using methods such as undertaking works at night and over school holiday periods when traffic flows are lighter, allowing suppliers to work safely, maintain quality, and ensure disruption is minimised,” King explains.

While there will be various maintenance worksites across the Bay of Plenty this summer, there is a focus on State Highway 29 (SH29), with eight asphalt renewal sites, including near Hanga Rd, the Kaimai Café and Kaimai School. To minimise impacts to traffic, this work will be done at night and starts this month.

Some renewal sites have kicked off early, with SH2 Te Puna asphalt works now completed, and crews making the most of the weather now with two worksites on State Highway 2 (SH2) between Paengaroa and Ōtamarākau already halfway through construction.

As much work as possible will be completed before Christmas, then there will be a short break over the holiday period. Crews will then get back into it until autumn sets in.

“With so much work taking place it is inevitable road users will come across worksites and traffic management. When you see road workers out on the road, travel safely through their site, follow signage and any instructions you receive, and give them a wave to say thanks for their tremendous work,” says King.

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.

Bay of Plenty

Tauranga

· SH2 Takitimu North Link Stage 1: Shoulder closures and stop/go traffic management on Minden Rd continue until mid-December while utility works are completed and earthworks get under way.

· SH2/Fifteenth Ave: Major works to build the connection from Fifteenth Ave to SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Rd are under way. Works involve the building of a 120m long retaining wall and earthworks before the Fifteenth Ave bridge construction. One lane at SH2/Fifteenth Ave near Edgecumbe Rd will be closed while this work takes place. This is likely to remain in place until mid-2026. Local residents 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 Rd: A reduced speed limit of 70km/h is in place while Takitimu North Link Stage 1 crews are working behind the barriers. More information

· SH29 Tauriko/Redwood Lane: Project construction is ongoing at multiple sites on SH29. Night works for line marking are scheduled for Monday, October 14, from 8pm to 5am. During this time, stop/go and a reduced speed limit of 30km/h will be in place on SH29 between Gargan Rd and Belk Rd. In the SH29 section between Tauriko Village and Cambridge Rd, vegetation clearance, building removal, surveying, and ecology activities will be taking place. This involves shoulder closures and intermittent mobile traffic operations. From Sunday, October 21 to Wednesday, October 23 night works are scheduled for temporary widening of Cambridge Rd. These works will take place on the eastern side of Cambridge Rd, between 559 Cambridge Rd and the SH29/Cambridge Rd intersection. During this time, stop/go and a reduced speed limit of 30km/h will be in place. Motorists and cyclists are urged to drive and ride with extra care, especially in the areas between Redwood Lane and Belk Rd, and between Gargan Rd and Cambridge Rd, and adhere to the reduced speed limits. More information.

· Cambridge/Moffat roads: The major works in this area are now complete. There will be some upcoming shoulder closures and stop/go traffic management in place over the pending weeks as the remainder of the work is completed. More Information

· SH2 Bay Link: Various lane closures will be in place across the Bay Link site for sign installation (no detours required). In addition, from October 14 to 25, the Bayfair walking and cycling underpass will be temporarily closed 24/7 for finishing works. People walking and cycling are required to use the Bayfair roundabout pedestrian crossings. For more information and detour routes, visit nzta.govt.nz/baylink-traffic.

· SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Rd (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 the first week of November 2024, with one lane available in either direction. A temporary speed limit of 70km/h applies through the site. More information.

· Mount Maunganui: Until Sunday, October 13, 24/7 including weekends, there will be a one-way lane closure on Oceanbeach Rd between Concord Ave and Golf Rd. All traffic heading towards Mauao will be detoured via Girven Rd, Maunganui Rd, and Golf Rd to get back onto Oceanbeach Rd. Oceanbeach Rd will still be open on this section of road for traffic heading towards Pāpāmoa. Access to Concord Ave will be as normal. To find out more, visit letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/oceanbeachroadresurfacing.

Western Bay of Plenty

· SH2 Old Tauranga Rd to Mathers Rd: A road rebuild is under way on SH2 near Old Tauranga Rd, from 6am to 6pm Monday to Saturday each week and a finish date of around December 4, weather dependent. There will be lane diversions and stop/go traffic management in place with a 30km/h temporary speed limit 24 hours a day. Motorists are advised to expect delays.

· SH2 Ōmokoroa Rd: Road widening and service relocation works are under way 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 Rd: Road widening works are under way 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 Pongakawa: Road rehabilitation continues on SH2 near Pongakawa School Rd. This work is expected to be completed in mid-October, 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 continues on SH2 near Ōtamarākau Valley Rd with completion expected mid-October. Crews are on site from 6am to 6pm Monday to Saturday with stop/go traffic management in place, delays are to be expected.

Rotorua

· SH30 Rotorua: A full road closure of SH30 Sala St is needed for a road rebuild, work is taking place between 8am and 4pm Monday to Friday, with a completion date of Friday, October 18. The road closure will be in place between Scott St and McIntyre Ave, with temporary traffic management in place, allowing resident access only. During the closure, vehicles will be detoured westbound via SH30A Te Ngae Rd, Amohau St to Pukuatua St, left into SH5 Old Taupō Rd and left on to SH30 Hemo Rd, and in reverse for eastbound.

· SH30 Te Ngae Rd, Rotorua: Road resurfacing will begin on SH30 between Basley Rd and Allen Mills Rd on Sunday, October 13 until Sunday, October 20. This work will be undertaken at night between 8pm and 5am each night. Two lanes will remain open at all times to minimise disruption to motorists.

· SH30 Puketawhero Park, Rotorua: On Saturday, October 12, the League Legends Rugby League tournament will take place at Puketawhero Park. Gates open at 11am with the event wrapping up at around 5pm. Due to the event there will be more traffic in the area.

· SH36 Hamurana Rd, North of Ngongotahā: A road rebuild will start on SH36 between Central Rd and Gloucester Rd on Monday, October 21 between 8am and 5pm, taking six weeks to complete. While the work is happening there will be a lane closure in place between Central Rd and Gloucester Rd each weekday. Temporary traffic management will remain in place until the road has been line marked.

· SH36 Mangorewa Gorge: Work is finishing up on SH36 between Mangorewa Gorge and Hamurana, with final asphalt surfacing to be laid as weather allows. Stop/go traffic lights remain in place 24/7 until the work is complete, with 1 lane closed from the Mangorewa track to just south of the worksite.

Eastern Bay of Plenty

· SH34 Kawerau: Road rebuild work has begun at Onepū near Kawerau, with aggregate overlays now underway before stabilisation. This is expected to take five weeks and completed late October, 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.

· SH2 Pekatahi Bridge: Sealing work on the Pekatahi Bridge will take place on Wednesday, October 16 between 9.30am and 4.30pm. Stop/go and stop/stop traffic management will be in place. Delays of up to 20 minutes are expected during the stop/stop period. This work is weather dependent.

· SH38 Rangitaiki Bridge: Work has started on bridge repairs near Murupara and is expected to be completed in early December. 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.

· SH2 Waioeka Road, near Ōpōtiki: A road rebuild has started on SH2 between Warrington Rd and Clark Ross Rd, this work is expected to be completed in late October. On weekdays between 7.30am and 4.30pm there will be 4-way stop/go traffic management in place at the SH2 Matchitt Rd and Apanui Rd intersection.

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

· SH35 Ōpape: Underslip repairs will get under way on Monday, October 21 and take six weeks to complete. The work will take place between 7am and 5am Monday to Saturday. There will be stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit of 50km/h in place while work is under way.

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. More information.

Manawatū-Whanganui

· SH3 Carlton Ave: Asphalt resurfacing will take place on a section of SH3/Carlton Ave from Wednesday, October 16 to Friday, October 18, with crews working each day from 7am to 7pm. During work times, a one-way closure will be in place for all southbound traffic, with detours for light and heavy vehicles. Light vehicles detour is via Purnell St to Guyton St to Heads Rd then back to SH3. Heavy vehicles detour is via Montgomery Rd to Mosston Rd to Heads Rd and back to SH3. Northbound traffic continues through site, with a 30km/h temporary speed limit in place. Outside of the work hours, SH3 is open under reduced speeds. More information.

Waikato

SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru

· Piarere to Tīrau: Night closures continue until 6am on Tuesday, October 22. This is from SH29 Piarere to North Tīrau. Detour via SH29 and SH28. There is resident access only on Totman Rd.

· Tokoroa to upper Ātiamuri: Full closure is now in place for six weeks (weather permitting). This site is one of the larger and more complex ones, spanning 17km and encompassing four separate work areas, ranging from 2.9km to 5.7km in length. SH1 traffic heading to Taupō and further south will be detoured via SH32 and SH30 and vice versa (also known as Maraetai Rd in Tokoroa, Whakamaru Rd and Ongaroto Rd in Ātiamuri). This will add approximately 16 minutes (23km) to journey times. The road between the SH1/SH32 (Maraetai Rd) and the hard closure (near Campbell Rd) will be accessible to use for access. Those wanting to access the Tokoroa Golf Club should use Old Taupō and Kinleith roads and then will have access on SH1 to the Club. The Oji Fibre Solutions Kinleith Mill is fully accessible.

· Tīrau to Putāruru: Is now reopened We will let you know when we are back to apply the final coat - it is possible this may be done at night.

· Ātiamuri to Warakei: Daytime closure has finished, although work and traffic management will continue on this stretch of SH1, so please allow extra time.

An alternative route for those travelling longer distances, such as Hamilton to Waiōuru is to take SH49, SH4 and SH3 (or vice versa). SH4 is now suitable for HPMV for the duration of the SH1 Tīrau to Waiōuru renewal project. There will be more closures along SH1 over the next 16 months as part of intense rebuild and repair work. You can keep up to date by signing up to the e-newsletter.

East Waikato

· SH25: Repairs to slip damage is under way at three sites along SH25 between Tairua and Coromandel township and one at Te Kouma. At Pumpkin Hill, just north of Tairua, work is beginning to repair a large underslip near Sailors Grave Rd. Work at this site will take about six months to complete. The road is expected to be reduced to a single lane with stop/go traffic management in place from later next week.

Work also under way between Wharakaho and Kuaotunu will take 2-3 months to complete, and near Matarangi and at Te Kouma, will continue through November. Stop/go traffic management will be in place during the day at these sites, with a shoulder closure and temporary speed restrictions in place outside of working hours. More information

· SH25 Hikuai Bridge: Contractors will be back at work on Sh25 Hikuai Bridge next week to complete repairs begun earlier this year. This work will involve a series of short closures and is scheduled to be carried out on Monday, October 14. Work is weather dependent and will be postponed to later in the week if necessary. This work could not be completed earlier in the year due to wet weather.

Central Waikato

· SH41 Tokaanu: Due to a washout, the road is down to 1 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 mid-October.

· SH41 Tokaanu: Works to repair an underslip will begin in mid-October. The road will be down to one lane under stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit will be in place. Works to repair the slip are expected to be completed by late November.

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, while the work is taking place there is a reduced speed limit of 50km/h and through the transitions the speed limit is 30km/h. For the next several weeks a detour is under way where SH1C and SH1 merge. SH1C is closed to northbound traffic after the Lake Rd 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 eight minutes to journeys. Detour map

· SH3 Glenview, Hamilton: Road resurfacing is under way and is expected to take two weeks to complete from 8pm to 6am, at night from Sunday to Thursday. When the work is taking place the road will be closed to through traffic between Lambert Court and View Rd. Light vehicles will be detoured via Lambert Court, MacDonald Rd, Saxbys Rd, Deanwell Ave, Collins Rd, Prisk St, Mount View Rd to rejoin SH3. When the resurfacing outside the bush hub is happening, the detour will be via Resthill Cres, MacDonald Rd, Lambert Court to rejoin SH3. HPMV, heavy and over dimensional vehicles will be stacked and released at regular intervals.

· SH3 Ōhaupō Rd, Hamilton: Resurfacing work will start on Ōhaupō Rd between Stewart Place and Mahoe St, including a section of Normandy Ave overnight from 8pm to 6am Sunday, October 20 taking five nights to complete. Ōhaupō Rd will be closed to through traffic between Collins Rd and Mahoe St, including Normandy Ave while the work is taking place. Light vehicles will be detoured via Collins Rd, Prisk St, Mahoe St and Lorne St to rejoin SH3. HPMV, heavy and over dimensional vehicles will be stacked and released in regular intervals with an alternative route via SH21 and SH1.

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

· SH26 Morrinsville Rd: Two weeks of enabling works has started between Platt Rd and Tauwhare Rd 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 eight weeks to complete with a finish date in early November. There will be a one-way westbound detour in place 24/7 via Tauwhare Rd and Platt Rd which will add about four minutes to journeys, while the rebuilds take place.

· SH1/SH29 Piarere intersection: Traffic is now using the new roundabout at the intersection of SH1 and SH29 in Piarere. The roundabout opened to traffic on Tuesday, September 24 with two temporary approaches and a temporary layout in place. Recent heavy rain caused damage to the temporary approach roads and urgent repairs have been undertaken. NZTA thanks road users for their patience and asks people to adhere to the signage and take extra care when travelling through the area. View a map here.

· SH37 Waitomo Caves: Work is under way to repair a slip on SH37 just to the east of Waitomo Caves village. Traffic will be reduced to one lane with stop/go while work is taking place, reopening to two lanes at nights and weekends. Work is expected to be complete late October.

North Waikato

· SH1 Pōkeno interchange to Mercer interchange: There will be a full southbound closure on Wednesday and Thursday, October 16 and 17 between 9pm and 5am for resurfacing. Traffic will still be able to travel south using one of the northbound lanes. The Pōkeno southbound on-ramp will also be closed on Monday, October 14between 9pm and 5am. Please use alternative on-ramp at Nikau Rd.

· SH1 Hampton Downs to Te Kauwhata: There will be a full southbound closure on Thursday 17 October between 9pm and 5am for resurfacing. Please use the recommended detour via Whangamarino Rd, Paddy Road, Summertime Lane, Hall Rd and Rodda Rd.

· SH2 Baird Rd to Irish Rd: Stop/go traffic management will be in place on Wednesday and Thursday, October 16 and 17 between 9pm and 5am for resurfacing.

Taranaki

· SH3 Waitara Rd, Bell Block: A small section of Waitara Rd is closed until late November 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 Rd, the detour will add an extra five minutes to journeys. SH3 through the intersection will remain open to traffic with a 50km/h temporary speed limit in place. More information

· SH3 Ōnaero: Due to pavement repairs on SH3 between Waiau Rd and Kapikari Rd, there will be stop/go traffic management at two sites with a 30km/h speed restriction from Monday, October 14 to Friday, November 22 between 6am and 7pm, Monday to Saturday. Delays of 5-10 minutes are expected.

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

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nztawbop

• X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/nztawbop

• Journey planner: journeys.nzta.govt.nz

• Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)