SH2 Waihī to Tauranga Corridor

Project update

12 December 2025

Thank you for your support in 2025

As we near the end of the year, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you for your ongoing support and patience throughout the State Highway 2 (SH2) Waihī to Ōmokoroa safety improvements project.

This is always a great time to reflect on what we’ve achieved together. Here are some of the key milestones from this year:

• Completed Apata Station Road roundabout. ✅
• The major and complex cut at Pahoia Road is underway. ✅
• Ōmokoroa Road roundabout – almost complete. ✅
• Major service relocations behind the scenes – not always visible, but essential infrastructure local communities depend on every day. ✅

Looking ahead to the holiday season, we know this is one of the busiest times on our roads. To help make your journey easier, we’ll pause work on our projects in this area from Friday 19 December 2025 and return on Monday 12 January 2026. During this break, we’ll pull back our work sites and remove as much traffic management as possible to keep traffic flowing smoothly.  However, for your safety, some worksites will still have temporary traffic management in place. These areas have not been fully completed and therefore, lower temporary speed limits apply.

Thank you again for being part of this journey. We look forward to continuing the improvements in the new year!

SH2 Apata Station Road roundabout now complete

Thanks to the warmer weather, we’ve successfully completed the final surfacing and line marking at the SH2 Apata Station Road roundabout – allowing the temporary speed limit to be lifted and it’s now fully open!

This section of the project has had its challenges, many of which happened behind the scenes. For example, the stream that once ran beneath the old road has been carefully diverted through a large pipe system under the new road. The team also constructed a 135-metre retaining wall and relocated essential services such as water, telecommunications, and power – all while managing tricky soft ground conditions.

A big thank you for your patience throughout construction. While we’re celebrating the roundabout’s opening, there’s one final task ahead: towards the end of summer, the team will return briefly to apply a second coat of chipseal. This will help waterproof the areas beyond the asphalt and ensure the road’s long-term durability.

SH2/Ōmokoroa Road roundabout – the kerb has been poured, topsoil added, and the streetlights installed.

Driving Waihī to Ōmokoroa this festive season

Current construction activity on SH2 includes the Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s Ōmokoroa Road roundabout, and roundabout enabling works at Pahoia and Esdaile Roads intersections.

While work will pause over the Christmas and New Year break, some traffic management measures will remain in place to keep everyone safe.

Speed restrictions and temporary signage will be in place at both sites. Please expect minor delays and plan your journey accordingly. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve our roads.

Pahoia/Esdaile Roads roundabout

Preparatory works for the Pahoia/Esdaile Roads roundabout include relocating services, cutting the bank for the new road and drilling soil nails on the cut.

SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Road flyover bridge.

Takitimu North Link Stage 1: Flyover progress and key project updates

Progress continues in the construction of Takitimu North Link Stage 1 with works becoming more visible to the public, in particular, the flyover on SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Road (TDTR), and the bridge at Fifteenth Ave.

Here’s an update on the key project sites:

SH29/TDTR: The nearly completed 363m flyover on SH29/TDTR, nicknamed the “bridge to nowhere” by commuters on SH29, is part of Stage 1 of the Takitimu North Link project. Currently in construction and not yet connected to the new road, it spans Kopurererua Valley Reserve and will eventually go over the new interchange above the roundabout and slip lane. Construction vehicles will use the bridge from late-January 2026, with commuter traffic expected mid-2026 when it will then become the “bridge to somewhere”, connecting with SH29 towards Tauranga CBD.

Fifteenth Ave Connection: All 12 beams have been installed on the bridge and there will be a lane closure on SH2 from January – April 2026 for lane works and signage gantry construction.

Smith’s Farm: The bridge is nearing completion and next steps include abutments and design panels.

Bridges completed: Cambridge Road, Wairoa Road and Minden Road overbridges are now complete and temporary speed limits have been lifted.  Along with Minden Gully off-ramp, 4 out of 10 bridges on the project are now complete.

Wairoa River Bridge: All 80 bridge beams are installed with curing and barrier installation underway.

Minden Gully bridges: Made up of 4 bridges, the Minden Road overbridge is complete, and the off-ramp bridge is currently being used as a haul road for construction vehicles. The main bridge barriers, on-ramp barriers and design panels are being installed.

Earthworks: 3 million cubic metres of material will have been moved when earthworks are completed by autumn 2026. The focus will then be on pavement works until project completion in 2028.

For more information on Takitimu North Link Stage 1, sign up to the project newsletter here.

Existing SH2 above Te Puna Quarry Road, facing east towards Te Puna.

Takitimu North Link Stage 2 project update

We’ve been steadily advancing the Takitimu North Link Stage 2 project (Te Puna to Ōmokoroa) throughout 2025, and we’re now into the pre-implementation phase.

Applications for statutory approvals were lodged under the Fast-track Approvals Act in August 2025, marking a significant step forward. Consenting is an important milestone, setting out the footprint of the project. An expert panel is assessing the application, and a decision is expected early 2026.

There is a considerable amount of land required and we are prioritising our discussions with property owners through this complex and sensitive process.

In September 2025 contracts were awarded for design of the new road. We continue to work with local authorities including Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and local hapū Pirirākau and Ngāti Taka as this develops.

We’re also carrying out ground investigations at key sites near Snodgrass, Ainsworth, Te Puna Quarry and Munro roads, and around Oturu and Te Puna streams. These include geotechnical testing, topographical surveys and soil contamination checks, and will continue through December. This work helps inform the road’s design and planning.

November project update Takitimu North Link Stage 2.
View the consent application documents at fasttrack.govt.nz.
This page outlines the Fast-track approvals process.

Road maintenance

No maintenance works are scheduled for the Western Bay of Plenty for the rest of 2025.

Starting in January, 2 asphalt projects will take place on SH2:

• Near Armstrong Road, Te Puna
• Near Barrett and Plummers Point roads

Sign up to receive regular email updates on road works in your area here.

Holiday break for crews, smoother travel for you

From midday, Friday 19 December until 11:59pm, Sunday 4 January, there will be a nationwide moratorium on road works. This pause allows crews to rest and spend time with their friends and whānau, while giving motorists a smoother journey during the busy holiday season.

Learn more about the summer maintenance programme here.

More information

For more information on the SH2 Waihī to Tauranga Corridor projects, contact us at bopprojects@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website nzta.govt.nz/sh2-waihi-to-tauranga-corridor