Wishing you a safe and happy holiday on the roads

With the Easter holidays and the Anzac Day long weekend back-to-back this year, we are expecting that roads will be very busy, as many people will make the most of an extended break and take the chance to travel.

Travellers can make their journeys safer and more relaxing by using Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s holiday journey planner (Easter and Anzac weekends 2022 (nzta.govt.nz) to plan ahead and avoid delays.

The journey planner shows predicted traffic conditions for popular routes in the Bay of Plenty and across the country during the holiday period, based on travel patterns from previous years.

While our work sites will be closed during both long weekends, please take care when driving through these and follow the temporary speed limits which are there to keep all road users safe.

Across our sites the teams have not only been busy with construction, but they have been working hard on some environmental projects as well.

We take a closer look at some of these projects in this month’s newsletter.

Common vision: Salt marsh and grazing land will once again provide a refuge for native birds

Wetland project restores mana and mauri to its environment

The tide has filled the new inanga (whitebait) spawning habitat at the Waiau wetland marking the development of the final stage of the 60-plus hectare Athenree Wildlife Refuge.

At a site blessing in late February, project partners and iwi representatives walked the land to view the completed ponds and channels. The earthworks have begun the process of transforming 5.3 hectares of salt marsh and grazing land into wetland that once planted, will also provide a refuge for native birds.

The project is a partnership between members of the three hapū of Katikati: Ngāi Tauwhao, Ngāti Te Wai and Ngāi Tamawhariua, along with local kura, Waka Kotahi, Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Councillor Norm Bruning, and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

Senior Project Manager for the SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa safety improvements project Chris Farnsworth said the wetland restoration project has brought together tangata whenua, government departments and local and regional councils through “a common vision”.

Waka Kotahi and Bay of Plenty Regional Council have shared the costs and the Department of Conservation has provided the land, while iwi will contribute much of the ongoing environmental work.

The process of restoring the mana of this culturally and environmentally significant wetland will provide positive opportunities for mana whenua in the future.

This will be a site where local kura (schools) can learn about the taiao (environment) and use it as a wananga site for learning mātauranga (knowledge).

The local hapū environmental team Kaimai Kauri will continue to support this project in partnership with the Department of Conservation. Planned work on the wetland will involve planting natives and keeping pests out, to provide a space where the ecology thrives.

Mokomoko rehomed and given a chance to flourish

Mokomoko (indigenous lizards) salvaged from the Takitimu North Link roading project have been relocated to their new permanent home on the maunga, Mauao in Tauranga Moana – giving them a chance to flourish in a new environment.

The Takitimu North Link project team (a Fulton Hogan/HEB Joint Venture) has completed ‘search and salvage’ work across the eastern section of the project’s potential lizard sites and this work is ongoing.

The focus is making sure any mokomoko have the best chance of survival while construction is underway.

About 40 indigenous copper skinks have been found at the site so far, along with more than 1000 plague skinks, an invasive Australian pest species which compete for indigenous lizards’ habitat and resources.

Copper skinks were once a non-threatened species, but their threat status shifted to “at risk, declining” in 2021, which reinforces the importance of the search and salvage work that we do.

The team has delivered the mahi working in partnership with tāngata whenua representatives of Ngā hapū o Te Paerangi, Pirirākau, and supported by the Mauao Trust, Tauranga City Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Department of Conservation and Wildlands.

Ecological outcomes are a key part of the roading project, which aims to tread lightly and care for the whenua, provide suitable habitats for flora and fauna and leave a legacy for future generations.

View the extended video here (5 mins)

New layout: A roundabout at the SH2/Tetley Road intersection is progressing well

Roundabout taking shape at Tetley Road

Construction on the eastern side of SH2 is progressing well, with the new layout at Tetley Road visibly taking shape. 

During April, the construction of pavements and kerbing continues, with the plan to have traffic using the eastern (Tetley Road) side by mid-May.

Tetley Road remains temporarily closed between SH2 and Rereatukahia Pā Road until mid-May as construction continues. A detour route is in place through Marshall Road, near Katikati.

This section will continue to see road widening and major intersection improvements until mid-2022.

Morton Road roundabout works coming

The Morton Road roundabout design is almost complete and the team plans to commence early works mid-2022.

This intersection is located 2.9km from the next northern roundabout proposed for Lockington Road/Matahui Road, and 3.8km from the next southern roundabout proposed for Apata Station Road.

Early works include the relocation of services, with the main construction works commencing late-2022.

The roundabout will take between six to 12 months to complete, depending on external influences such as resources, weather and staffing.

Technical: Retaining walls being built on Section 4, Athenree to Tanners Point Road

Building walls, walls and more walls

If you have driven through any of our sites, you may have seen our crews hard at work building retaining walls, especially along Section 4, Athenree to Tanners Point Road recently.

The road corridor north of Katikati is narrow which means there is not a lot of room to widen the existing roadway. In order for us to achieve the desired width of the road, without encroaching on neighbouring property, we need to build retaining walls.

Building these walls is technically challenging, and also significantly changes the look and feel of the road. They are also often built in advance of the main widening works to speed up construction process.

Next time you are driving through, keep an eye out for this work as we complete more of these incredible walls.

Takitimu North Link Stage One Look ahead – what’s coming up on site

• Takitimu Drive Toll Road - Services relocation works, reduced speed limit to 80km

• Smith’s Farm / Richard Way - Carting of materials into the area to start the large fill, erosion controls continue, archaeology investigations on the Smith’s Farm side

• Cambridge Road / Harrison Road - Earthworks for the new Harrison Road, services relocations

• Wairoa Road and Valley - Trucks carting materials down to the Wairoa Valley, wick drains being installed, Wairoa Road diversion road open, Wairoa Road bridge construction starting soon (more details to come), archaeology investigations continue, Stop/Go traffic management in place for trucks crossing Wairoa Road

• Te Mete Road Area - Vegetation clearance

• Minden Road Area - Services relocations, vegetation clearance

• A section of the Kopurererua Valley pathway has closed permanently with construction underway. Visit our website for more on this.

Shout out: SprayMarks' Ernst and Neil have been recognised for taking pride in their work.

Bouquets for the boys

Thank you to a regular SH2 commuter for taking the time for a shout out to some of the SprayMarks team working on the Waihī to Ōmokoroa safety improvements project.

This is what they had to say:

I would like to pay a compliment to the traffic team working between Ōmokoroa and Katikati, in particular two chaps named Ernst and Neil.

I commute daily and I see these two men working tirelessly from very early to very late, often 12+ hours apart, its abundantly clear these two have pride in their work.

I've never seen such well-maintained and tidy sites as the sites they have been working on, I see them daily maintaining the traffic and their sites are by far the fastest with the least amount of delays.

Thanks to them for improving my commute.

More information

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

Visit our websites

SH2 Waihī to Tauranga corridor

SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa safety improvements

SH2 Katikati to Tauranga speed review

Takitimu North Link