SH2 Waihī to Tauranga Corridor Pānui

We’d like to say thank you for your support and patience this year while travelling through the State Highway 2 (SH2) Waihī to Tauranga corridor.

We’re working on several projects and maintenance programmes, making this western Bay of Plenty corridor safer, more resilient and a better journey for all.

This has meant a lot of construction activity, with the roundabouts for the Waihī to Ōmokoroa safety improvements, Takitimu North Link Stage 1 and Ōmokoroa intersection upgrade projects making great progress, and the summer maintenance programme in full swing. 

In this newsletter, we’ll be updating you on these projects, including information on Takitimu North Link Stage 2 and the Government’s decision confirming the tolling proposal for Takitimu North Link.

Summer activity on State Highway 2

As people wind down for the year, cities empty out and the beaches fill up, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) encourages people to plan ahead for safe summer road trips.

With the high volumes of traffic expected over the holiday period in the Bay of Plenty, we’re asking people to drive to the conditions, be patient and allow plenty of time and keep a safe following distance from the vehicle in front so you can stop safely.

Although sites shut down over Christmas and New Year, traffic management remains in place so please stick to the temporary speed limits, watch out for lane changes and other directions as you drive through.

In the New Year, there are a number of maintenance projects happening that may impact journeys on SH2. Below are a couple to be aware of:

SH2 Tauranga between Loop Road and Ainsworth Road: On Saturday 18 January intermittent stop/go will be in place from 7am to 7pm so temporary barriers can be installed. Once the barriers are installed a 60km/h speed limit between the Te Puna roundabout to Ainsworth Road will be in place while construction is underway.

SH2 Snodgrass Road, Te Puna: We’re rebuilding the road near the Snodgrass Road and Te Puna Quarry Road intersection. The work will be completed at night between 8pm and 5.30am, starting from Sunday 12 January and taking approximately 6 weeks to complete. While this work is underway, there will be stop/go in place and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h during the day. Entry into Snodgrass Road and Te Puna Quarry Road will be closed at the state highway end. Alternative roads are available to the south via Munro Road and to the north via Armstrong Road or Borrell Road.

For information on maintenance activities on the corridor during summer, please see the Western Bay of Plenty section of our latest Traffic Bulletin.

Everyone deserves to get to their destinations safely and have a happy holiday. For a smooth journey, and before you set off, we encourage road users to use Journey Planner to check for road conditions.

Waihī to Ōmokoroa safety improvements

As we reflect on 2024, a couple of highlights include the completion of the Sharp Road roundabout and visiting Matahui School during Road Safety Week. The kids were awesome acting out a real construction site – with ‘big truck’ Joe and the chance to have a go on the 2-way radios – or walkie talkies.

As we come into one of the busiest times of year on our roads, work will stop on Friday 20 December, and our crew will be back on site Monday 6 January. To make your journey through the area easier, we will be streamlining our sites and removing as much traffic management as possible. This includes Apata Station Road, and Ōmokoroa Road roundabout sites.

There will be speed restrictions in place at both sites, and temporary signs that may cause minor delays, so we ask all those travelling through the area during this time to be patient and plan ahead.

Supporting the Powerco crew with service relocation at Youngson Road, and works underway at SH2/Ōmokoroa Road near Francis Road.

Friendly face on busy highway

Dennis Poulson is one of our team who has been on the project for 5 years. He works for Spray Marks NZ as part of our project team and most recently has been kept busy with work at the Apata Station Road site.

Dennis has received wonderful feedback from the public and can be seen most days with a smile on his face, saying hi with a wave to motorists as they drive through the busy site – he’s also been known to perform the odd mana wave!

The rest of the team on the ground have also been given a collective shoutout by one of our regular road users citing their positive and friendly attitude.

Dennis setting up traffic management on SH2.

Lizards, fish and streams

Building a new roundabout is never an easy feat, with many moving parts and Apata Station Road roundabout has been no different; in fact, it has come with its own set of challenges.

Before construction could even begin on the roundabout, the teams had to put a significant amount of planning and work into relocating the existing stream through a brand-new pipe system.

As part of this process the teams have had to check for wildlife, including lizards, fish, roosting bats and birds, and find ways to look after the existing stream running through the area to keep it healthy.

After many months of investigation, and a few relocated lizards and fish, the stream now runs through its new pipes. This stage in the project is due for completion early in the new year, about the same time you’ll start to see the new roundabout start taking shape.

SH2/Apata Road pipe relocation 7-11 January 2025

There’s a lot of activity planned from January along SH2. This includes the important task of bringing in the pipes that will relocate the existing stream across SH2, which is part of the Apata Road roundabout construction.

This work needs to happen during daylight hours over 3 days from 7 to 10 January.

To safely move the 1800 metre in diameter pipes across the road, stop/go will be in place on SH2 during the day, with some lane shifts and a 30km/h speed limit. All lanes will be open again overnight.

1800 metre pipes to be relocated over SH2 to the other side.

Takitimu North Link Stage 1 update

Our construction of Stage 1 of the new Takitimu North Link 4-lane expressway connecting Tauranga and Te Puna continues to make great progress with the team racking up 2 million hours of work on this Road of National Significance project so far. Take a look at this side-by-side flight over the project site, with commentary from Brian Robertson, our Project Director.

In the Wairoa Valley, bookended by the newly constructed Cambridge Road and Wairoa Road bridges, there is a heap of activity happening with earthworks and environmental controls each side of the Wairoa Awa (river), and the construction of the 355-metre bridge which spans the valley flood plains.

It’s been a cracking year for the crews on site. 4 out of 10 bridges have been built, 1.5 million cubic metres of dirt has been shifted, and local roads are finished in the Bethlehem/Tauriko area. It’s exciting to see the new road really begin to take shape. The expressway will support economic growth and productivity, by providing a reliable, resilient and safe expressway connection for people travelling through the western Bay of Plenty.

The project is more than building great infrastructure, with wider benefits such as providing jobs and career opportunities, contributing to local economy and upskilling communities. With Takitimu North Link more than 200 people are employed, and more than 2000 have worked on various aspects of the project to date.

Read more about the progress on the project in the Contractor’s Newsletter.

Tolling

NZTA acknowledges the Government’s decision to confirm the tolling proposal for Takitimu North Link. This decision provides the project with the direction needed to move forward, and provide clarity for communities and road users. NZTA thanks everyone who made submissions, public consultation is a valued part of the process and the insights gained through submissions were considered in the decision-making process. Revenue collected from the toll will ensure Takitimu North Link remains safe and well maintained, and will contribute towards the construction and maintenance of the road.

View the Beehive announcement.

Meri Kirihimete me te tau hou 2025

From everyone on the Waihī to Tauranga projects and maintenance and operations teams, we wish you a joyful and safe festive season and look forward to sharing more project updates with you in the New Year.