Sheet piling works for the Tauriko Enabling Works project are ahead of schedule at the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection, which means the lane closure will be lifted overnight on Wednesday 29 January. Traffic will be able to turn off SH29 into Cambridge Road again from Thursday 30 January. The remaining sheet piling and retailing wall works will start taking place behind the barrier and both lanes will be open for traffic.
Works to improve safety at the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection have started off well, despite this area being challenging and narrow to work in, says Darryl Coalter, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Regional Manager, Infrastructure Delivery Waikato/Bay of Plenty (Acting).
“Everything aligned. Great weather, good ground conditions, no machinery breakdowns and the opportunity for the crew to work extended hours, enabled this tricky stage of the job to be completed 4 days ahead of schedule,” says Mr Coalter.
“Scheduling this work in January while schools are out and traffic volumes are lower helped minimise overall disruption to the travelling public. We’d like to thank everyone for their patience while this work was completed, especially residents, businesses and project neighbours.”
Tauranga City Council Bethlehem Ward Councillor Kevin Schuler says seeing work associated with the lane closure completed ahead of schedule is a fantastic result.
“This is a great start to works at the SH29 and Cambridge Road intersection, and an excellent outcome for businesses and for local residents we know use this route often.”
With the temporary sheet piles almost fully in place on this section of Cambridge Road, work can commence on the permanent retaining wall soon, says Mr Coalter.
“Building a retaining wall in this location is complex due to the surrounding geography, traffic volumes on Cambridge Road and constructing a 210m-long concrete wall, with a steep gully on one side. This is further complicated by multiple underground services that also need to be installed including power, water and fibre.
“The retaining wall is a key step allowing us to widen the road, accommodating increased traffic and a shared path, and is scheduled for completion in late 2025. Once the retaining wall is completed, there will be a lane shift on Cambridge Road allowing intersection and drainage works to begin on the other side of Cambridge Road.
“The upgrade of the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection is a key part of the Tauriko Enabling Works project. It will be a much safer and more efficient intersection, including a new connection to Whiore Avenue for buses and people walking and cycling wanting to access Tauriko Business Estate.”