Gearing up: summer is coming and so is our busy work season

Road maintenance season is here

You will notice more activity when travelling along State Highway 2 (SH2) this month. The start to the maintenance season has been changeable weatherwise, and our contractors are completing work when conditions allow. Between now and mid-December we are focussing our efforts between Athenree and Te Puna, as we try to avoid the holiday period.

Well maintained roads are safer. They have better stopping distances, which is an important factor in crash prevention.  A smooth ride is more comfortable, and vehicle damage from surface defects and potholes is reduced too.

Considerable planning is done to look at historic traffic and travel trend data, and what worked and didn’t work last season. While we aim to complete the work with as little disruption as possible, there will be delays to people’s journeys.

To minimise delays during the day a majority of the reseal work is being completed overnight between 7pm and 5am.

Chip seal is used as it has a longer life, can be constructed quickly and provides flexibility to allow the ground to move below without cracking the surface. After the work is completed, the sites continue to operate under a reduced temporary speed limit while vehicles travel over the seal and “bed in” the chip.

This does mean that people should plan for delays of up to 45 minutes during the day for 36 to 48 hours following the reseal works.

The sites planned for this month include:

• Monday 15 November to mid-December - Thompsons Track Road area. Full width road reconstruction day works between 7am-6pm with Stop/Go traffic management, avoiding peak hours. Expect delays of up to five minutes.

• Wednesday 17 November - Te Puna Road to Loop Road. Resealing night works, with delays of 45 minutes expected for 36 to 48 hours following this work, between 7pm-5am. 

Please stick to the temporary speed limits. Speeding through roadworks puts the safety of other road users and our road workers at risk, and we ask that people please slow down, leave space and be patient.

The temporary speed limit remains in place until the sites are swept, excess chip removed and until line marking is reinstated (within 48 hours, weather dependent).

We are working with contractors and suppliers to deliver better journeys, in addition to providing better and more detailed information to road users on any anticipated delays.

Keep an eye on our Waikato/BOP Facebook page for confirmed dates for any work with potential long delays, and check the Journey Planner website before you travel.

What is bitumen 'flushing'?

While driving the SH2 corridor you may see patches of shiny black road surface known as 'flushing'.

This occurs when bitumen expands in hot weather and rises to the surface of the road. Flushing mostly occurs at the start of the summer season as warmer weather draws moisture from the road and, in extreme cases, this lifts the surface of the road in chunks.

Our contractors are doing what they can to fix this issue promptly when it occurs, and we encourage motorists to phone in any sites where flushing seems particularly noticeable.

Contractors can then consider options such as using water tankers to cool the surface, or laying a fine layer of chip to mitigate the impacts.

You can report bitumen flushing to Waka Kotahi using the 0800 4 HIGHWAYS phone number.

On track: we are progressing well with kerb and channel construction

SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa Safety Project - What’s happening?

Improving safety on New Zealand roads is a priority for Waka Kotahi. Road to Zero 2020-2030, New Zealand’s road safety strategy, tells us what New Zealand needs to do to make improvements in road safety. It sets us on a path to achieve Vision Zero, a New Zealand where no one is killed or seriously injured on our roads.

To enable this vision, we are investing $101m into the SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa safety improvements project.

We are currently more than halfway through these works and on budget. While we have some materials supply delays due to the worldwide impacts of COVID-19, we are on track to complete the project in 2024.

Section 4: Athenree Road to Tanners Point Road

You will see earthworks, drainage, service relocations and the construction of kerb, channels and pavement when driving through this section of works. This is expected to continue for the next few months. 

We are also continuing construction of several retaining walls along this section. To date, we have completed four walls, one is under construction and another two are yet to be started.

The construction team are doing all they can to keep two lanes of traffic open at all times, but at times retaining wall construction will require single lane closure to allow our work crews to carry out construction safely and efficiently.

Section 5: Tanners Point Road to Kauri Point Road

The relocation of power and watermains are near completion and we expect the connections to be finalised late November. Once this is complete, there won’t be much work to see in this section until early to mid-2022, when we will start construction of a retaining wall here. If delays with materials occur on other sections of the project, you may see us back here earlier. 

Section 7: Wharawhara Road to Sharp Road

Early works for a roundabout at the Rea Road/Tetley Road intersection are underway. A roundabout at this intersection is part of the original safety works and fits into future safety works, pending approvals and funding.

Work here is expected to take several months as there are several power relocations to be undertaken, each coordinated with the earthworks. The planned works for this year are mostly out of the traffic lanes, thus not impacting traffic greatly until early-2022.

Section 8: Sharp Road to Sargent Drive

Work will continue between Lund Road and Wright Road over the coming months where you can expect to see road widening, earthworks, drainage and service relocations.

Our maintenance teams are also carrying out full width pavement rehabilitation works in the Thompsons Track area, south of Forta Leza, scheduled to start Monday 15 November. This work is expected to take several weeks and, although our contractor will endeavour to keep delays to a minimum, Stop/Go operations are required.

Section 10B & 11: Near Apata Rail Bridge to the Waipapa Stream Bridge

To complete this section, we will be relocating overhead powerlines and construct retaining walls. Unfortunately, due to the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the construction industry, we continue to experience the delays in obtaining the materials needed to continue this work. At this stage we are not expecting these materials to be available until April 2022.

We will be undertaking similar rehabilitation works in the Sargent Road area in February 2022. 

The above work is expected to have a significant effect on traffic, so please allow extra travel time, watch for traffic layout changes and follow the temporary speed limits and direction of the traffic control teams.

SH2 Wharawhara Road to Henry Road shared path

Waka Kotahi is designing a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists along SH2 south of Katikati to provide a safe trail for locals and visitors.

This path will enable commuter cyclists and pedestrians to travel safely to and from town with separation from the highway. We anticipate local workers, backpackers and campers will use this.

The shared path will make Katikati a more liveable town, reduce costs for council, less impact on the environment, and healthier and more productive people. There will also be recreation and economic benefits as more locals and tourists cycle between Waihī and Tauranga, linking to a Great Ride, the Hauraki Rail Trail.

The path will be 2.5m wide and 770m long and located on the western side of SH2 from Henry Road to Wharawhara Road (Seeka and Chrome Cafe).

The design is being finalised, with funding yet to be confirmed for construction in the 2022/23 financial year.

Baseline freshwater survey work is underway for fish and insects in the waterways around and within the Stage One designation

Takitimu North Link Stage One - site activities

The property phase of the Takitimu North Link Stage One project has made significant progress and the construction contract is expected to be awarded December 2021. Our contractors, Fulton Hogan / HEB Joint Venture, were awarded the design part of the contract in May 2021 and have progressed site investigations and detailed design during this time. FH/HEB JV will be out and about over the coming weeks as enabling works get underway.

A team of archaeologists, ecologists, Kaitiaki (cultural monitors) and other members of our site crew will be setting up several environmental controls and monitoring across the whole alignment.

Over the coming weeks the main focus will be at areas around Cambridge Road, Harrison Road, Richards Way, Wairoa Road and Wairoa Valley. Some of the essential preparation work that will be underway involves:

• Areas of archaeological interest will be investigated.

• Baseline freshwater survey work will be undertaken for fish and insects in the waterways, around and within the designation, to enable the monitoring and performance of ecological function and values over time.

• Some native lizards and skinks will be relocated prior to removing the vegetation. Ecologists will be setting up monitoring for native birds in vegetation so they can be also be relocated.

• Bat monitoring will be undertaken in the Minden Gully area. 

• To allow for the use of construction vehicles, Harrison Road and Richards Way will be widened by one metre. We will start to stockpile materials for the construction phase at Wairoa Road.

• Utility services such as power and water will be relocated in preparation for construction. Direct notification will be provided to any affected residents.

After the archaeological and environmental measures have been undertaken, vegetation and tree clearance will begin, this will include the clearance of some kiwifruit orchards.

You can sign up to receive updates at nzta.govt.nz/takitimunorth

Takitimu North Link Stage Two - route protection programme update

We know that safety of this section of SH2 is important and we are working to determine what upgrades can be made to improve safety for everyone who uses the road, including improving the SH2 / Ōmokoroa Road intersection.

We have now met with landowners east of Te Puna stream to share plans for the alteration to designation and show the footprint of the road. We are planning to meet with the landowners west of Te Puna stream in early-2022.

The project team has been working to complete site investigations for route protection between Te Puna and Ōmokoroa. Current COVID-19 restrictions in Auckland and Waikato have impacted this programme, and some technical assessments which have not been completed will result in delays to the programme.

At this stage we intend holding public engagement sessions, following our landowner meetings, in early-2022. These sessions will give the local community the opportunity to find out more about the route protection and designation.

The Sign of a Safe Speed

Check out our new video that highlights all the things that go into setting a speed limit.

There are several factors including the number of people and travel modes using the road, the function and features of the road and its surrounding environment.

All these things determine what a safe speed should be.

To find out more about what we are doing to keep you safe on your journey, read more about Road to Zero and our vision for Aotearoa where no one is killed or seriously injured on our roads on our website.

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