Tauriko Enabling Works

Project update

30 September 2024

Tēnā koe and welcome to the SH29 Tauriko Enabling Works project update. 

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and Tauranga City Council are progressing this programme of work to improve safety and enable development in and around Tauriko.

This update provides an overview of what’s happened and what’s coming up for the project.

You can read about:

• where we’re at and what's next
• an important project milestone
• SH29/Cambridge Road section underway
• noise walls and how they work
• our sustainability efforts.

Work on the northern part of the site, alongside SH29 north of Redwood Lane, in September.

Construction snapshot: Where we're at

Since the last construction update, the team has been busy working on the SH29/Redwood Lane section, carrying out the following:

• Earthworks preparing for the construction of the pedestrian/cycle underpass that will eventually connect Redwood Lane to Kaweroa Drive crossing underneath SH29.
• Widening Redwood Lane, allowing access to be maintained while the new stormwater pipes are laid.
• Importing fill to build up and form the new SH29 lanes on the sloped section north of Redwood Lane (pictured above).
• Upgrading water, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure (read more below).
• Establishing underground ducts to accommodate new and upgraded power services and removing overhead powerlines and poles.
• Constructing the first noise wall (more on this below).
• Extending the guardrails and barriers north of Redwood Lane to safely enable upcoming works in the northern section of the project.

Meanwhile significant progress has been made at the Belk Road intersection with vegetation cleared and earthmoving and compacting works to widen the road completed. The focus now shifts to prepping the landscape.

So far, we have:

• Removed enough topsoil to cover half of the Bayfair Shopping Centre floor area! Topsoil is surface-level soil including grass.
• Excavated cut to waste fill, equivalent volume of 15,000 spa pools. This soil layer is beneath the topsoil and needs to be replaced with structural fill to create a stable road surface.
• Moved structural fill equivalent to the weight of 150 blue whales. This material helps to level the ground, providing a stable surface to build the new road and roundabout on.

Stormwater equipment lined up for installation on Redwood Lane in August.

Storming ahead on stormwater works

As most of the land we’re working on was previously farmland and paddocks, it naturally absorbed rainfall and run-off. To build a road over land like this, significant planning goes in to finding ways to cope with future rainfall and run-off which will no longer be absorbed in the same way.

The stormwater works underway include building stormwater bunds, water treatment ponds, drains and installing stormwater systems beneath the road.

If you have driven by the site in the past month or so, you may have noticed the stormwater pipes lined up waiting to be installed (see above). Most of these are now in the ground and form part of a network of acess points and pipes to help move water away from the construction site and underneath the future state highway and roundabout.

With about 320 metres of stormwater pipes now laid, the upgrade also includes installing new stormwater catch pits/chambers near SH29, between Gargan Road and Belk Road.

New SH29/Cambridge Road intersection (artist impression)

Getting started on the SH29/Cambridge Road section

Construction on the Tauriko Village/Cambridge Road section is now underway.

We’re clearing vegetation then removing the fuel tanks and canopy from the old service station. The service station building will be used by the project team as a site office and removed towards the end of the project.

Another property and pack house will also be removed, making way for a new wider and safer section of SH29 which will have a separated shared path for pedestrians and cyclists through Tauriko Village.

At the same time and on the adjoining site, Tauranga City Council is removing the Tauriko Settlers Hall, which is no longer fit of purpose. The hall is planned to be replaced in the future by a new community centre and library in the Tauriko West development.

Works in the Tauriko Village/Cambridge Road section include:

• Upgrading the existing SH29/Cambridge Road intersection with traffic signals to improve safety and traffic flow.
• A new signalised intersection on SH29 at Tauriko Village (near the old service station) providing access to the northern part of Tauriko West.
• A new shared path through Tauriko Village for pedestrians and cyclists, removing the more vulnerable road users from the busy state highway.
• A connection from SH29 to Whiore Avenue for buses, pedestrians and cyclists.
• Installing noise walls and constructing wetland areas to help minimise traffic noise.
• Constructing a new carpark for Tauriko School behind the old service station improving safety and access.

Access for residents and businesses will be maintained throughout this work.

Important milestone reached

The project reached an exciting milestone earlier this month - removing the overhead power lines and poles from the new roundabout site (on the southern side of Redwood Lane).

This was a challenging and complex task for the project team and took 2 days, reducing SH29 to a single lane under stop/go traffic management. This was no small feat on a busy state highway and important freight route. We would like to thank everyone, particularly our closest project neighbours, for their patience while these essential works were carried out.

Moving and upgrading these power lines is a major step forward for the project and has allowed the team to safely bring a 130-tonne crane in (pictured below), enabling the next phase of the project.

A 130-tonne crane is now on site lifting the underpass structures in place.

What's next?

Summer earthworks
Summer is earthworks season and there will be a hive of activity across the site, in particular the northern section, with construction also underway on the Tauriko Village/Cambridge Road section.

Underpass works
Work on the new pedestrian/cycle underpass at Redwood Lane/Kaweroa Drive is underway.

The team constructed a pad for a 130-tonne crane to safely operate. The crane is now onsite lifting 21 precast concrete structures in place to make up the full length of the underpass. The graphic below is an example of what the new underpass will look like.

Further excavation will continue so the underpass can link to Kaweroa Drive on the eastern side of SH29.

Computer generated graphic showing the new underpass to go from alongside Redwood Lane (the road to the right) and underneath SH29 (bottom of picture). The new roundabout will also be constructed on this corner of the intersection.

Work on noise walls near Redwood Lane is underway.

What are noise walls and how do they work?

Noise walls are built to reduce noise for residents and the community, by physically screening the noise generated by vehicles on the state highway. They are widely used throughout New Zealand and internationally to control noise from various sources including roads, rail, and industrial sites.

The acoustic performance of any noise wall is related to the removal of line of sight from the source (in this case most of it will come from wheels on the road), to the receiver (people in nearby houses), and how solid the barrier is (no gaps or cracks).

An analogy we use for noise is - noise is like water, where there is a gap in a container, water leaks out. Where there is a gap in a wall, noise will leak through.

Noise walls are most effective when they are built close to the state highway or the home/s we need to reduce the noise at. A high barrier isn’t necessarily more effective, as there is a point at which the height change provides no real acoustic reduction.

Timber noise walls have been chosen for this project. The walls will be constructed like typical residential boundary fences, but we’ll overlap each paling so there are no gaps for the noise to travel through. A benefit of installing them early is the noise we generate from construction will also be screened.

Noise walls can also be constructed out of other materials such as steel, concrete, plastic, rubber and glass. Earth bunds are also sometimes used which are barriers created from a long, high pile of soil.

Many factors go into determining the design and placement of noise walls, including wind and seismic considerations, maintenance look, cost, and sustainability.

Sustainability is important to us

Construction can be a messy activity.

In recent years there has been an increased focus on ensuring construction doesn’t create more problems than it aims to solve.

The Tauriko Enabling Works construction team is committed to taking steps to champion sustainability and reduce impacts as much as possible.

To support this, we've set up systems and solutions to ensure sustainability is considered in every part of the construction process, including:

• any potential ecological and archaeological impacts
• the use of sustainable products and suppliers
• the reduction and prevention of waste
• how much fuel, electricity, and water are used
• other activities that impact the surrounding areas, including noise and vibration.

At the Tauriko Enabling Works site rubbish and recycling are collected separately and the team is encouraged to reduce, reuse and recycle. This includes reusing construction materials like soil and diverting waste from general waste, such as repurposing boxes from office equipment or any packaging from materials. 

Everything used or not used on this site is monitored, including water and electricity use, with a goal of reducing use or waste. All waste or recycling leaving the site is weighed so the team has a goal of diverting as much as possible from landfill. This includes preventing batteries and soft plastics from entering landfill by making use of publicly available waste diversion opportunities e.g. supermarket soft plastic recycling.

The team continues to look for ways to improve and minimise the use of new materials. The goal is to repurpose and reuse wherever possible, even collecting coffee grinds from the office coffee machine for use as compost/fertiliser in the garden.

More information

For more information on the Tauriko Enabling Works project:

Email us at bopprojects@nzta.govt.nz

Phone 0800 262 729 (Downer 24/7 freephone)

Visit our website nzta.govt.nz/tauriko-enabling-works