All bridge beams now in place

Significant changes have unfolded across the Bay Link landscape in recent weeks at both the Bayfair and Baypark ends of the project.

At Bay Link’s northern end, bridge beams were installed on the fourth and final span of the Bayfair flyover earlier this month. The six beams, each of which weighs up to 54 tonnes and measures 28 metres long, span the walking and cycling underpass. With the final beams now installed, the scale and form of the flyover is apparent for all to see.

Achieving this milestone also finishes beam installation on all three of Bay Link’s bridges. Beam installation began in February 2021 with the first bridge, which spans the East Coast Main Trunk railway line, and continued in July 2021 on the second State Highway 2 (SH2) bridge. Both of these bridges are now open to road users as part of the SH2/29A Te Maunga interchange.

This year, the first two spans of the Bayfair flyover were installed over consecutive nights in April, the third span in May and the final span in August.

Not just a flyover – work at ground level in full swing

Beneath the flyover, work also continues at pace. Over recent weekends, permanent concrete barriers have been poured around the base of the flyover’s southern ramp using the slipform paver machine. Concrete is added to one end of this machine as it moves forward, leaving a string of fresh barriers in its wake.

Girven Road between Bayfair roundabout and Gloucester Road has been reduced to one lane eastbound to complete Bayfair Shopping Centre’s first Girven Road entrance as well as the footpath in the area. Two lanes are expected to be restored in September.

Work is also underway to build the new signalised Bayfair roundabout. The team are currently excavating the old road in preparation for reconstructing the permanent road surface on the lane closest to the centre.

Getting everyone home safely

Naturally, road construction in a live traffic environment presents challenges. While we endeavour to keep traffic flowing, the safety of road users and our crew is our priority. Works are staged, and traffic management plans developed, to keep everyone safe. 

The Bayfair roundabout is a particularly tight work area that is heavily used. To accommodate work in this area via a central work zone, the roundabout was enlarged, Matapihi Road to Girven Road reduced to one lane around the roundabout and the left-hand lane out of Matapihi Road changed to left turn only earlier this month.

This is a temporary layout that will be in place for approximately six months while construction of the new roundabout is underway. Once construction is complete, two lanes from Matapihi Road to Girven Road around the roundabout will be restored as per the permanent design of Bay Link. 

In the interim, all road users are encouraged to allow plenty of time to navigate the Bayfair roundabout, drive with caution through the work site, share the road safely, reduce speed to the signposted limits and follow directions provided on traffic management signage.

The Bay Link team thanks road users, residents and businesses for their patience while this work is underway.

Down in the ground

With the partial opening of the SH2/29A Te Maunga interchange in early July and the elevation of most traffic onto the new structure, multiple new work areas have become available at ground level at the project’s Baypark end.

The canyon: This long, narrow work area on SH2 extends from near Exeter Street, underneath the interchange and onto Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL).

The former state highway road surface has been excavated and drainage is currently being installed (pictured below) to capture stormwater and filter it towards a new wetland, previously constructed as part of Bay Link between SH2 and SH29A. Once the drainage is completed, the new road will be constructed in this area which, at project completion, will be used by people travelling to/from Hewletts Road and TEL for an uninterrupted journey via the Bayfair flyover.

A single northbound lane is currently available for road users travelling from Pāpāmoa to Bayfair on SH2/TEL to accommodate this work area.

The gap: The fourth leg of the SH2/29A Te Maunga interchange, a northbound off-ramp from TEL, is now under construction in the ‘gap’ – the area formerly occupied by SH29A between the railway line and SH2 (pictured below). In coming months, two retaining walls will grow in height to form the off-ramp that connects with the interchange. This off-ramp is expected to open over the coming summer.

Truman Lane walkway: The permanent design of Bay Link includes Truman Lane walkway which will feature stairs and a ramp descending from the interchange towards Truman Lane on the site of the former Baypark/Truman Lane roundabout. This walkway will improve walking and cycling connectivity between Bayfair and Baypark, and is currently under construction (pictured below). It is also expected to open over the coming summer.

Truman Lane: Earthmoving machinery is working on Truman Lane towards the new SH29A roundabout, prior to road reconstruction in the area.

SH29A: Crews are also working in the middle of SH29A west of the new roundabout to complete road reconstruction in the area.

Alongside these work zones, approximately 10,000 plants have recently taken root on the north-western banks of the SH2/29A Te Maunga interchange, either side of the railway line.

The problem of potholes

Winter has brought bad weather and heavy rain, leading to the appearance of potholes around the country including on Bay Link.

While we are challenged with more intense weather events and increasing demand on the network, we are committed to maintaining and operating a safe and accessible Bay Link site.

Potholes happen when significant rainfall penetrates the road surface and causes degradation, which is then compounded by heavy vehicle movements. The Bay Link traffic management team monitors the site multiple times a day and fixes potholes at the first available opportunity after they are reported.

The Bay Link site is currently a mixture of pre-existing, temporary and new road surfaces, and none of the potholes reported on site have appeared in the new road surface.

As part of the project, all road surfaces within the Bay Link site will be replaced and a wearing course of asphalt laid on all new permanent road immediately prior to completion. This final layer will provide a smoother finished surface for road users and is less susceptible to water damage.

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