Bay of Plenty

Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty

Work starting in the next 2 weeks

• SH2 Chapel Street overbridge, Tauranga: Overnight bridge maintenance will take place Sunday 10 May, between 7pm and 5am, with a lane closure and reduced speed limit in place.
  
  
• SH2 Takitimu Drive: The last of the Takitimu Drive asphalt resurfacing for 2026 will take place Sunday 17 May for 2 nights, between the Chapel Street on-ramp and the Elizabeth Street roundabout – southbound only. Work will take place between 8pm and 5am each night. On Monday 18 May during the day there will be a reduced speed limit due to the different height levels of each lane.

• Poripori Road slip repairs: Western Bay of Plenty District Council is closing Poripori Road between Kumikumi Road and Tebbutt Road for around 8 weeks, from Monday 11 May until Friday 3 July, weather dependent, so that a slip can be repaired. Residents will be able to access their properties from either side of the slip site, located 600m south of Tebbutt Road, however there will be no through access. Detours will be in place via SH29, Cambridge Road, SH2, Wairoa Road and Crawford Road. 

• SH29 Tauriko: From Sunday 10 May, night works are planned for surfacing work on Cambridge Road. Temporary traffic management including a 3-way stop/go and reduced speed limit of 30km/h will be in place on all approaches to the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection during this time. These works are expected to take 3 nights and are weather dependent. If delayed, they will be carried out on the next suitable shift.
  
  
• SH29 Kaimai Range: Drainage work on the stormwater drains will take place from Tuesday 12 May to Sunday 17 May between 5am and 8pm each day, just north of McLarens Falls Road. Lane changes will be in place throughout the work area, and a temporary speed limit will remain in effect 24 hours a day for the duration of the works.
  
  
• SH2 Wairoa bridge cycleway clip on: Tauranga City Council contractors will be working during the day on the Wairoa Bridge clip-on structure next week. The work is expected to take 3 to 4 days to complete. No work is taking place on the state highway. The cycleway remains closed after it sustained damage in late March. Tauranga City Council and NZTA are working together to reopen the cycleway as soon possible.
  
  
• SH2 near Duncan Road, Paengaroa: The final surface of chipseal will be applied to a recently completed road rebuild near Duncan Road on SH2 on Sunday 11 and Monday 12 May to protect the road surface during the cold winter months. Day work is required due to temperatures at night now being too cold to apply the surface. There will be stop/go traffic management in place at times during the day and a reduced speed limit in place.
  
  

Work underway

• SH29 Kaimai Range, Ruahihi Bluffs: The bulk of the Ruahihi Bluffs strengthening work, on SH29 in the Kaimai Range, near the Ruahihi Power Station, is nearing completion. Crews have been busy installing stabilisation measures with the majority expected to be completed by Friday 8 May. The team will then be off site until mid-June, when they will return for one final piece of work to install large trusses on the slopes as a further protective measure. This work is likely to be carried out overnight under stop/go. A reduced temporary speed limit remains in place through the site until the work is completed. This work makes the highway more resistant to slips and rockfalls and makes for a safer and more reliable stretch of road.

• SH29 Ōmanawa Bridge: Construction activity is underway close to the Hamilton-bound edge of SH29 between Ōmanawa Bridge and the Ōmanawa Road intersection. The Hamilton-bound lane has been shifted and the shoulder (from the bridge to west of the intersection) and the left-turn slip lane into Ōmanawa Road are closed. At the intersection, a merge lane for people turning from Ōmanawa Road onto SH29 towards Tauranga is in place, the right turn from SH29 into Ōmanawa Road removed, and larger speed limit signs, clearer road markings and side islands west of the intersection added to help drivers stick to the 50km/h speed limit. 
  
  
• SH29 Tauriko: A new traffic layout is in place through Tauriko Village and construction is progressing on the southern side of SH29 behind temporary safety barriers. These barriers will remain in place until later in the year. Temporary traffic management includes a reduced speed limit of 50km/h through the village. Access for residents and businesses on the southern side is maintained while the work is underway. Watermain upgrade works are continuing along the westbound lane (towards Hamilton) of SH29 with a shoulder closure, reduced speed limit of 50km/h, and mobile operations as required. 

• SH29 Takitimu Drive Toll Road: A reduced speed limit of 70km/h remains in place while crews are working behind the barriers on the construction of a flyover bridge and southbound slip lane works for the Takitimu North Link project. Traffic is anticipated to be diverted onto the flyover bridge and southbound slip lane in the next year while works continue. 
  
  
• SH2/SH29 Takitimu Drive: SH29 and SH2 traffic is diverted onto temporary lanes northbound to Mount Maunganui and Tauranga CBD, this diversion will be in place until end of July. Traffic from SH29 to Fifteenth Ave will be detoured via SH2 Takitimu Drive to Elizabeth Street. SH2 traffic will still be able to travel to Fifteenth Ave. 

• SH2/Fifteenth Ave: One lane at SH2/Fifteenth Ave near Edgecumbe Road is closed while the new connection to SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Road takes place, this is likely to remain in place until mid-2026. 
  
  
• SH29A Maungatapu Bridge: Bridge investigations have begun and will continue until Friday 15 May, between 7pm and 5:45am each night, Monday to Friday. There will be stop/go traffic management, a reduced speed limit and down to a single lane at times. There may be short delays while work is taking place. The narrowed lane width is unsuitable for over dimension vehicles. 
  
  
• SH2/Pahoia/Esdaile intersection: Road widening works are underway at this intersection. Please be aware that speed restrictions and intermittent stop/go traffic management will be in place, which may result in longer delays.

Rotorua

Work starting soon

• SH36 Mangorewa Gorge night closures: SH36 will be closed for 2 to 3 nights for repairs before winter conditions set in, in the Mangorewa Gorge. The road will be closed overnight, between 8pm and 5am, from Monday 25 to Wednesday 27 May. Access for residents will be retained. All traffic will be detoured on SH33 via SH29/SH2/SH30/SH5.

Work underway

• SH36 Tauranga Direct Road – Hauraki Stream Bridge replacement: Construction is underway on replacing a culvert 1km north of the SH36/Hamurana Road intersection. Traffic will be reduced to one lane, controlled by temporary traffic signals, lane and shoulder closures and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h. When the traffic management is first activated, it may take a short time to settle – phasing will be adjusted after seeing how traffic flows. Minor delays are expected. Construction will be complete in early 2027.
  
  

Eastern Bay of Plenty

Work underway

• SH2 Pekatahi Bridge approaches: Geotechnical investigations are underway on the approaches to Pekatahi Bridge. Please be aware that traffic management may be in place, resulting in delays.

• SH2 Waioweka Gorge: SH2 through Waioweka Gorge is now open 24/7 under stop/go traffic management. Closures will only occur when necessary. Motorists should expect delays of up to one hour. It’s a challenging area and there is still loose material on the hillside. Be prepared, the road may need to close at short notice if conditions change. Electronic message boards are in place at several points on the way into the gorge. Please keep an eye on these, as well as our social media pages, for the latest updates. 
  
  
• SH2/Wainui Road, Matekerepu, near Ōpōtiki: The construction of the Matekerepu roundabout is completed, final resurfacing is yet to take place. The temporary speed limit will remain in place until the resurfacing has been completed. 
  
  
• SH2/Ōhiwa Beach Road/Waiōtahe Valley Back Road intersections near Ōpōtiki: Works are underway beside SH2 for 2 new teardrop roundabouts. Shoulder closures and stop/go traffic management are in place 7am to 6pm with a temporary speed limit of 30km/h. The road surface is uneven, please allow extra time when travelling through. Completion expected mid‑2027. 
  
  
• SH35 near Waihau Bay: Due to an underslip near Waihau Bay the road is down to a single lane with priority give way 24/7. A solution is currently in the design phase to repair the underslip.

Waikato

East Waikato

Work underway

• SH25 Pumpkin Hill: There are now 4 of the 8 repair sites to complete at Pumpkin Hill, north of Tairua. This work is being done using lane closures and stop/go, with the length of the site being progressively reduced. Work is expected to be completed by the end of May.

• SH25 Kūaotunu Hill: Contractors have started work at the site and work is continuing under stop/go and lane closures. Please adhere to the light phasing and follow the traffic management directions. There may be some stop/stop required at certain points of the project for a short period during the day but not often. The work is expected to be completed by mid-June.

• SH2 Karangahake Gorge: All 9 initial flood recovery sites in the gorge are now complete. Work will move to 5 additional sites that need stabilisation, including some rock scaling. These sites were affected in the January storm event, and now other recent rainfall events mean they need to be fixed while the contractor is on site. They will also be worked on using lane closures and stop/go. Work is expected to be completed at the end of May to early June at the latest.

• SH1/SH29 intersection, Piarere: Night works are planned for Wednesday 13 May, between 8pm and 5am, to mill and resurface both lanes of the Hamilton leg of SH1 (near the Karāpiro Heights driveway). These works are expected to take one night. However, if delayed by weather or unforeseen circumstances, will continue on the next suitable shift. Temporary traffic management, including stop/go and a 30km/h speed limit, will be in place for the duration of the works.

West Waikato

Work starting

• SH1 Cambridge Expressway: Major works on the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway are moving into Stage 3 from Sunday 17 May to early July. Crews will be working across both southbound lanes between the Northern Interchange and Victoria Road Interchange at Hautapu.

The southbound off‑ and on‑ramps at the Victoria Road Interchange will be closed 24/7 during this stage. A detour for southbound traffic from Hautapu will be in place via SH1B/Victoria Street/Queen Street/Albert Street/Achillies Avenue/Tīrau Road/SH1. All other southbound traffic wanting to access Cambridge should exit at the Northern Interchange and use Cambridge Road/Hamilton Road. Motorists should plan ahead, expect delays, and consider alternative routes. Congestion is likely at key intersections as people adjust to the closures.

For Fieldays, the expressway will have 4 lanes open with temporary speed limits, and all interchanges will be accessible. 

• SH31 Kāwhia: Due to a slip near Raglan Road, priority stop/go is in place 24/7 until further notice. Motorists to take care when passing through the slip site.

• SH23 Raglan: The World Surf Championship will be held in Raglan from Thursday 14 to Monday 25 May at Manu Bay. Road users should expect more traffic on SH23 and roads leading into and around Raglan. Eventgoers are encouraged to use the Park and Ride alternative transport from Raglan Airfield. 

SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru accelerated maintenance project

T2W is now complete! In the next edition of this bulletin, we’ll share a snapshot of what this important project has achieved. 

North Waikato

Work starting next week

• SH1 Drury interchange to Bombay interchange: There will be a full overnight southbound closure from Sunday 10 to Thursday 14 May between 9pm and 5am for maintenance. A detour is available via Great South Road and Mill Road.  Works will be in place until mid-June 2026, excluding Friday and Saturday nights.

• SH1 Hampton Downs to Island Block Road: There will be a full overnight northbound closure on Monday 11 May between 9pm and 5am for maintenance. Traffic will still be able to travel north using one of the southbound lanes.

• SH2 Between Rawiri Road and Kopuku Road: Stop/go traffic management will be in place overnight from Sunday 10 to Tuesday 12 May between 9pm and 5am for maintenance.