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You are invited to give your views
As part of the Government’s New Zealand Upgrade Programme Waka Kotahi is working to protect the route for Takitimu North Link Stage Two, which is a proposed new 7km long four-lane state highway between Te Puna (near Loop Road) and Ōmokoroa, tying into the existing State Highway 2 (SH2) south of the Waipapa Stream bridge.
Stage One of the project, between Tauranga and Te Puna is currently in construction.
You can view a copy of the proposed alignment plan for Takitimu North Link Stage Two on our website here.
We welcome any comment or feedback on the project, and encourage you to share this information with contacts who may be interested.
Please send feedback or requests for more information by reply to this email to bopprojects@nzta.govt.nz.
Benefits of the Takitimu North Link project:
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improve safety to reduce deaths and serious injuries
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improve access with more reliable travel times for local people, and regional freight to the Port of Tauranga from Western Bay of Plenty and Coromandel
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support greater travel choice through public transport prioritisation and shared path which will improve mode shift options
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support economic development and population growth in the Western Bay of Plenty in line with the Urban Form and Transport Initiative(external link)
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improve resilience to the road network
About the proposed design
The Stage Two section of the road will be a median divided highway, with flexibility to allow two of the lanes to be allocated to high occupancy vehicles. It includes a shared path running parallel to it, on the northern side. The existing SH2 will be retained and reconstructed where necessary to serve as a local road connecting western Bay communities. A grade-separated interchange is proposed at Ōmokoroa Road and overbridges across the highway are proposed at Te Puna Quarry Road and Plummers Point Road to carry local traffic.
Since April 2022 the project team has undertaken a thorough review and update of the assessment of alternative highway alignments and intersection forms. One of the main reasons for this was to address the requirements of the National Policy Statement- Freshwater Management 2020 (as updated in December 2022) and the National Environment Standards for Freshwater 2020. As part of this work we have also undertaken additional technical assessments.
An emerging preferred alignment and intersection forms were refined through this process, and further investigations are progressing, focussed on this alignment.
Refinements to the design
The alignment and intersection forms have not changed significantly from the preliminary design prepared in early 2022, although, they have been refined as follows:
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The positioning of the Ōmokoroa Road interchange has shifted slightly to the southwest and incorporates additional bridge structures to minimise impacts on wetland.
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Additional active mode facilities are proposed, including an underpass under Ōmokoroa Road and connections to the local road network.
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Several other bridge structures have been added, instead of culverts under the road, as they are a more efficient form of conveying the natural flow of watercourses. They also minimise impacts on wetlands and provide fish passage.
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The stormwater management approach has been revised to be a combination of stormwater treatment swales running alongside the highway, together with stormwater treatment and/or attenuation wetlands in selected locations. Where streams are being realigned they will be designed to accommodate flood flows, reducing the need for stormwater treatment wetlands to also provide flood attenuation.
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To offset and compensate for the residual impacts of the Ōmokoroa Road interchange on a wetland complex a restoration package near Ōmokoroa Road and the Te Puna Stream, is proposed.
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Many of the culverts under the existing SH2 will be upsized to restore natural stream flows, improve fish passage and to reduce flooding that currently occurs on land to the south of SH2, particularly around the Ainsworth Road area.
During March and April 2023 additional geotechnical testing has been carried out to confirm the suitability of soils in locations where additional bridge structures and stormwater treatments will be located. Further ecological, site contamination and engineering investigations are ongoing, to support the assessment of environmental effects reporting for the Notice of Requirement and resource consents. We have also met or communicated with all affected landowners to update them on impacts to property.
Ongoing engagement with local hapū is progressing, with input into historical and environmental aspects of the project, as well as a view to incorporating cultural aspects into the project design.
Links
Next steps
Designation and resource consents are scheduled to be lodged with Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council in the second half of 2023. The applications will be publicly notified and submissions called for, with a hearing in 2024 - we will publicise these dates once they are confirmed.
We welcome any comment or feedback on the project, and encourage you to share this information with contacts who may be interested.
Please send feedback or requests for more information by reply to this email to bopprojects@nzta.govt.nz.
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