People travelling between the Bay of Plenty and Waikato will be able to get where they’re going sooner, with the speed limit lifting at the new roundabout at the intersection of State Highways 1 and 29.

After 17 months of construction, the bulk of the work on the SH1/29 roundabout and approach roads in Piarere is complete, said NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) in a statement.

This means “it’s now safe for NZTA to lift the speed limit to 100km/h”.

“Lifting the temporary speed limit is a major milestone. We’ve come over the hill and the finish line for this project is now in sight,” Waikato/Bay of Plenty infrastructure acting regional manager Darryl Coalter said.

Construction got under way in January 2024 and Coalter said work was on track to be completed next month.

“Our project team and contractors understand just how important this new roundabout is for people who use the road on a daily basis and have been dedicated to completing it as efficiently as possible.”

People will continue to see activity over the next few weeks, including landscaping (around 200,000 plants will be in by the end of this month) and finishing touches will be applied to the underpasses.

Final road surfacing works are also anticipated this month, likely to be carried out at night, with details to be confirmed closer to the time.

These works would require a temporary reduced speed limit, before the limit will be reinstated to 100km/h.

The 60-metre roundabout is designed to improve efficiency, connectivity and safety on this very important, high-volume route.

It has also been constructed to allow connection with the future expressway between Cambridge and Piarere.