Motorists travelling through Tauriko Village are advised of an upcoming traffic switch on State Highway 29 (SH29) as part of the SH29 Tauriko Enabling Works, a project delivered by NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Waka Kotahi in partnership with Tauranga City Council.
Starting tonight (Monday 13 April), work will take place between 6pm and 6am across 4 nights to prepare to shift traffic onto newly constructed lanes on the northern side of SH29, between 815 SH29 and the Cambridge Road intersection.
Traffic will be travelling on the new alignment from 6am, Friday 17 April.
These works are weather dependent and if delayed, will be pushed out to the next suitable shift.
Adrian Jones, NZTA Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery says the traffic switch allows pavement construction to begin on the southern side of the highway and marks a significant milestone in the project.
“We’ve spent the last 18 months working on the northern side of SH29 through the village and have completed a great deal of work. We’ve opened a new carpark for the school and Playcentre, constructed a new road and intersection (SH29/Te Ara Hoia Drive), installed underground services and utility ducts, and upgraded watermain and stormwater systems.
“We’ve also constructed retaining and noise walls and have now completed 2 new traffic lanes.”
Mr Jones says these two new lanes will eventually service Tauranga-bound traffic but will initially provide one lane of traffic in each direction while construction occurs on 2 new Hamilton-bound lanes.
“Once complete, SH29 will be four-laned through this section which will help to improve traffic flow while making the road wider and safer for road users and the communities that live and work there.”
Mr Jones says these works have been scheduled during the school holiday period to take advantage of lower traffic volumes and to allow the community time to adjust before school resumes.
During the switch, road users can expect:
- Stop/go operations on SH29 through the village and at the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection.
- A reduced speed limit of 30km/h during night works.
Once the traffic switch is in place:
- A reduced speed limit of 60km/h will be in place.
- Safety barriers will remain in place until the end of the year.
- Access for residents and businesses will be maintained at all times via a temporary access road within the worksite.
- Residents nearby may notice increased noise and vibration overnight due to heavy machinery. Every effort will be made to minimise disruption.
Along with pavement construction, the next phase of works will include service investigations, watermain upgrades, and the installation of traffic islands, street lighting, and traffic signals.
Elsewhere on the project work continues on the bus link, footpaths and watermain upgrades on Whiore Avenue and stormwater upgrades between Cambridge Road and the SH29/State Highway 36 (SH36) roundabout. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2027.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) thanks everyone for their patience while these important upgrades are completed.
More information: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/tauriko-west/tauriko-enabling-works/