State Highway 2 closure for bridge construction

State Highway 2 (SH2) between Bayfair roundabout and Te Maunga intersection is scheduled to close this weekend to enable construction of the second of Bay Link’s three bridges.

The closure is anticipated to take place from approximately 10pm on Friday 2 July until 5am on Monday 5 July 2021. Signposted detours will be in place.

Motorists are advised to expect significant delays in the area and are encouraged to allow extra time for travel, use alternative routes or plan travel outside these times.

The closure is required to allow placement of 10 reinforced concrete beams across the SH2 interchange bridge at the Te Maunga intersection by a 350T crane that will be positioned in the middle of the state highway.

As shown below, a number of detours will apply during the closure:

• SH2 towards Papamoa (TEL southbound): detour via Girven Road, Maranui Street, Sandhurst Drive and the Sandhurst/Mangatawa interchange.
• SH2 towards Mount Maunganui and Tauranga (TEL northbound): detour via the Sandhurst/Mangatawa interchange, Sandhurst Drive, Maranui Street and Girven Road.

Motorists travelling between Papamoa and Maungatapu in either direction along TEL/SH29A can still use the signalised intersection at Te Maunga.

• SH2 towards SH29A/Maungatapu: detour via Girven Road, Maranui Street, Sandhurst Drive, the Sandhurst/Mangatawa interchange and Truman Lane.
• SH29A towards Mount Maunganui/SH2 northbound: after turning right at the Te Maunga intersection, detour via the Sandhurst/Mangatawa interchange, Sandhurst Drive, Maranui Street and Girven Road.
• There will be no left turn from Exeter Street onto SH2, no right turn from Maranui Street onto Girven Road and no right turn from the Sandhurst/Mangatawa interchange onto TEL.

Residents on SH2/Maunganui Road between Girven Road and Exeter Street will be able to access their properties via Eversham Road, Exeter Street and the southbound lanes of SH2. Information about access arrangements has been provided directly to these residents.

The bridge beam installation work is weather-dependent. If it is impacted by weather or other unforeseen issues, it will be carried out on the next available weekend.

The Bay Link team thanks motorists, local residents and local businesses for their patience during the closure. We would also like to acknowledge Baypark Events Venue and Tauranga Airport for their work to accommodate this closure around major events and airspace considerations.

For more information, please visit nzta.govt.nz/temaunga

Recent progress on Bay Link

The project has changed significantly in recent months, with much of the progress now above ground and clearly visible to road users.

Bayfair (northern end):

• Following a major traffic switch in April, where SH2 lanes north of Bayfair roundabout were moved into the centre of the road, services have been relocated on both the Bayfair Shopping Centre and Matapihi Road verges, making room for construction of the new underpass.
• This was followed by excavations for the new underpass and start of work on the western and eastern entrances. An initial layer of concrete was poured, providing a solid base to work from. A base slab is then formed on which the steel reinforcing is erected to form the concrete walls (pictured).
• Pavement preparation has also been underway on the Bayfair verge. Once the outer sections of the underpass are complete, permanent pavement will be constructed over the top and traffic returned to the final road alignment over the newly formed underpass entrances. This traffic switch, scheduled for later this year, will make way for a centralised work zone to construct the central open-air trench of the underpass and the northern ramp of the Bayfair flyover.
• Work has continued on the main access point to the Bayfair Shopping Centre (near the temporary signalised crossing), which is currently available as an entrance only. This work is required to enable reconstruction of the entrance and tie the pavement into existing road surfaces. The entrance is expected to be fully operational next month. The Bay Link project team thanks Bayfair Shopping Centre and road users for their patience while this work has been underway.
• Construction of the bridge pier in the middle of Bayfair roundabout is progressing well, with the base formed and concrete poured around the four vertical steel cages. In total, three piers and two abutments will support the new Bayfair flyover bridge.
• Excavators are working in the middle of SH2, south of Bayfair roundabout, in preparation for the construction of the southern ramp of the Bayfair flyover.

Baypark / Te Maunga (southern end):

• The four retaining walls of the southern embankment, located between SH2 and Eversham Road, have reached the final finished height ahead of the installation of bridge beams next month.
• Fascia panels have been fitted to the abutments of the SH2 bridge. These panels will later feature cultural elements designed by our iwi partners.
• Permanent pavement and kerbs have been constructed on the ramp that connects the new southern roundabout to the rail bridge. This area is expected to open to traffic under temporary traffic management when the SH29A/SH2 interchange bridge becomes operational.

Looking ahead

• Bridge beams will be installed across SH2, after which the bridge deck will be poured and a settlement period will begin. This allows the earth to settle once loads are applied to the ground below. Any movement is monitored on a weekly basis. This area will lay dormant until the majority of expected settlement has occurred, a process which is expected to take approximately three months.
• The entrance sections to the underpass will take shape with the construction of the concrete walls and roofs.
• Drainage blanket will be laid for the southern ramp of the Bayfair flyover and work will begin on the ramp’s retaining walls. Drainage blanket, which comprises a layer of stone wrapped in fabric blanket, allows pore water to exit from underneath a structure during an earthquake.

More information

For more information on the Baypark to Bayfair Link upgrade project, contact us baylink@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/baylink