18 December 2015 | NZ Transport Agency - Waikato & Bay of Plenty

Roadworks season in full swing: allow extra time when travelling around the Bay of Plenty and Waikato

Roadworks get under way this week on a large section of State Highway 3 between the Hamilton Airport turnoff and Ohaupo, the NZ Transport Agency says.

The six-week job will see repairs to a 1.2km section of highway south of SH21 (Airport Road), side-by-side passing lanes removed and a section of wire rope barrier installed.

Passing lanes will be retained south-bound for 1km from the new roundabout being built at the SH3/21 intersection. Similarly there will be two lanes north-bound from Kaipaki Road for 1km.

The roadworks will be completed by late February. The roundabout project will be completed by late May.

The Transport Agency says speed restrictions will be in place during the work, and while the roundabout is built, so motorists on this route should add a few minutes to their journey times.

During the roadworks, traffic will be down to single lanes in both directions. Work will be done during the day, avoiding peak times, and two-way traffic will be maintained at all times.

To enable the roundabout to be built “offline”, a temporary road is being built for traffic going in and out of SH21 and that will be in use from 25 January until the project is completed.

SH24 Matamata

Work is under way to repair Matamata’s main street - known as Broadway/SH24.

The works are at night for the town end with mostly day works for the section down to Burwood Road. Contractors Broadspectrum will be there until mid-February.

Heavy vehicles are being detoured away from Broadway at night and this will be extended to both day and night at various times between 17-29 January to protect the new surface.

SH1 Kahikatea Drive

Contractors are gearing up to install traffic lights at the SH1 Kahikatea Drive and Gallagher Drive intersection.
Contractors Fulton Hogan are working on relocation of services, roadside berms and some geotech investigations this month.
There will be speed restrictions and traffic management as work moves out into the lanes ahead of a mid-year completion.

Waikato Expressway

Traffic management and speed restrictions are in place along some sections of SH1 as work continues on the Rangiriri and Huntly sections of the Waikato Expressway.

Rangiriri: There is also a 50km/h speed restriction in place between Rangiriri intersection and the Glen Murray intersection. This week the Rangiriri right-turn bay moves a little further north.

Huntly: A 70km/h speed restriction is ongoing north of Fisher Road to allow the contractor to widen the road and shift traffic on to a new alignment ahead of the start of the Ohinewai interchange bridge.

Rotorua

Rotorua motorists are advised to allow extra time when travelling this week as contractors carry out roadworks on a number of state highway sites.

Stop/go traffic management, changes to the road layout and speed restrictions will be in place at sites on SH5 near Springfield, SH36 near the Mangapouri Bridge, SH30 between Whakamaru and Rotorua and SH33 at Sun Valley Curves starting Monday January 18 for approximately one week.

The work is weather dependent and may be postponed if necessary.

SH2 between Tauranga and Waihi

Motorists travelling on SH2 between Tauranga and Waihi are urged to drive with extra care over the next four months as work gets underway on a major safety upgrade.

A section of highway between Wainui South Road and Sargent Drive will be repaired and widened, and a wire rope central median barrier installed to prevent head on crashes.

Work starts this month and is expected to wrap up in early May.

People should only expect minor delays minor delays but are urged to stay alert behind the wheel as there will be significant changes including lane closures, speed restrictions and occasional stop/go traffic management.

The Transport Agency apologises for any inconvenience and thanks motorists for their patience during the works.

People can get information on road works and detours in the region they are in, or travelling to by going online and checking www.nzta.govt.nz/summerjourneys , by calling 0800 444 449 or following the Transport Agency on Facebook or Twitter.

ENDS

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