SH2 Waihī to Tauranga Corridor Pānui

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi  (NZTA) has several projects underway on State Highway 2 (SH2) between Waihī and Tauranga to make this corridor safer and more efficient. This newsletter provides an update across all these projects, and the Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s SH2/Ōmokoroa Road Intersection upgrade.

Summer maintenance for the Western Bay

Road users can expect to see one of the biggest state highway road works seasons across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions this summer.

Increased funding to maintain and operate state highways will see more kilometres of road resealed and rebuilt this year.

Resealing work is usually completed in a relatively short time and often done at night, however there could be delays the following morning due to a temporary speed limit of 30km/h while the chipseal beds in.

Road rebuilding is more intensive and takes longer as the existing road surface and underlying road structure (pavement) is removed down to the foundation and replaced. In some cases this means sections of road will be under construction for multiple months.

On SH2 between Waihī and Tauranga, road users will see a rebuild underway south of Old Tauranga Road in Athenree. The road crew have been installing drainage and reshaping part of the road.  This week, a section of median barrier is to be temporarily removed so the road can be strengthened and put back in place after sealing.

Further south, sections of highway between Katikati and Ōmokoroa will be resealed from after Labour weekend and further sections resealed from mid-January between Ōmokoroa and Bethlehem.

All this work needs to be done during the warmer, drier months over summer to get the right result.  This ultimately means fewer potholes and a smoother, more efficient and safer journey for road users in the future.  With so much work taking place it is inevitable people will come across worksites and traffic management.

It’s important to keep to the temporary reduced speed limits as you drive through these areas to keep road users and workers safe and to protect your vehicle from damage.

This work forms part of the government's $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.

Read media release here.

To plan ahead and see where disruptive works are, people can use the NZTA Journey Planner. This is kept up to date in real time so you can see all disruptive activity and potential hazards on the state highway network.

New wall technology on Apata Station Road roundabout

You may have noticed while driving through the Apata Station Road roundabout construction site on SH2, our impressive new wall under construction. This structure of interconnected blocks is called MagnumStone, and it stretches 135 metres long, using over 400 individual blocks.

Each block fits neatly alongside the other, with either a short or long extender, making the construction process smooth and efficient.

From start to finish, it took the team, led by Kahu Strang, around 2 months to complete the wall, beginning with the earthworks cut and ending with all the blocks laid and backfilled to pavement height.

Thanks to the modular design of the blocks, they fit together easily, much like Lego bricks.

The MagnumStone blocks is designed to look like real rocks, which gives the finished product great visual appeal.

The final roundabout in the Waihī to Ōmokoroa safety improvements project, at Esdaile/Pahoia roads, is due to start in 2026.

As part of this project a lot of work happens out of sight and over the past year our teams have upgraded tens of kilometres of underground services throughout the project length. These services will strengthen supply and resilience to meet demands for utilities such as power and fibre in the future.

Safety improvements north of Katikati have also been completed.

A special thank you to everyone who’s travelled through the worksites during the year for your patience and consideration for the health and safety of our road workers.

Meet Kahu: Our rising graduate engineer

Kahu Strang joined our project team as a quantity surveyor in November 2022, fresh from completing his diploma at WelTec. His talent and enthusiasm didn’t go unnoticed, and by May 2023, Kahu had stepped up into the role of site engineer. Since then, he hasn't looked back!

Kahu successfully completed the Sharp Road roundabout and is now lending his expertise to the Apata Station Road roundabout (see above). His passion for civil engineering shines through and he’s excited to begin a diploma in civil engineering with the full support of HEB.

Originally from Wellington, Kahu has fallen in love with the Bay of Plenty. He enjoys the sunny weather, beautiful beaches, and fantastic waterholes.

It’s not just the stunning surroundings that keep him motivated—it's also the incredible team he works with. Kahu says, "The team I’m a part of is full of really switched-on people who have a wealth of information and experience to share, as well as plenty of good laughs."

When he's not busy engineering the future, Kahu loves watching the Chicago Bulls and the All Blacks, and relishing a good rump steak for dinner.

Kahu (far right) with the Apata Station Road crew.

SH2 / Ōmokoroa Road Intersection upgrade

The Western Bay of Plenty District Council-led project is going ahead in leaps and bounds with a lot of dirt being moved over the past few months.

Since clearing all the trees and vegetation in the area that will be the new Ōmokoroa Road approach to the roundabout, the teams have shifted around 14,000 cubic metres of dirt, installed and relocated numerous services and placed the first 2 layers over aggregate plus some kerb and channel.

Work is also well underway on the Youngson Road approach and a new accessway for residents on the corner of SH2 and Youngson Road.

The next big step is relocating of overhead Power and Telco services, which is a mammoth challenge.

View project website here.

SH2/Ōmokoroa Road Intersection upgrade worksite looking towards the peninsula.

Takitimu North Link progress and construction season lookahead

It’s exciting to see work completed on the local road layout at Moffat and Cambridge roads and St Andrews Drive, between Bethlehem and Tauriko as part of the Takitimu North Link project. This was a key focus over the past year and makes way for the 4-lane expressway to be built underneath.

For the 2024/25 construction season people will see work ramp up at 3 major works sites:

• SH2/Fifteenth Ave - Major works to build the connection from Fifteenth Ave to SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Road (TDTR) is underway. Works involve the building of a 120m large retaining wall and earthworks, prior to the Fifteenth Ave bridge construction. Read more.
• SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Road - Work is underway to build a major interchange between Tauriko and Tauranga CBD. Read more.
• Minden Road, Te Puna - Major works for the new Minden Road roundabouts and bridge tie-in works are underway. This work is to form the diamond interchange at the western end of the project.

Work continues at several other locations on site with remaining bridges under construction at Smiths Farm, Wairoa Awa (River), and Minden Gully. At SH2 near Loop Road a large culvert being constructed for the project.

Read more about the project here.

The local road layout at Cambridge/Moffat/Harrison roads is complete, making way for the 4-lane expressway to be built underneath.

Tolling consultation closed – Takitimu North Link

Tolling consultation for the Takitimu North Link project ended on Monday 7 October 2024. NZTA Waka Kotahi thanks everyone who submitted as part of the process. Final numbers of submissions will be confirmed once all postal submissions are returned and entered into the data programme. Our focus now is analysing the information and preparing the public sentiment report that reflects the submissions for the NZTA Board to consider.

Information about the proposal is here.

SH2 Wairoa Bridge to Bethlehem speed change

A new permanent speed limit between the Wairoa River bridge and Bethlehem has been set at 50km/h and took effect from Tuesday 29 October 2024. The new speed limit supports recent changes improving safety, access and cycling between Te Puna and Bethlehem including a cycleway alongside SH2.