Tauranga City Council is pleased to be opening the off-ramp from the Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) to Pāpāmoa East at the end of August, months ahead of schedule.

The Council has worked with the project contractor, Minister for Transport Chris Bishop, the New Zealand Transport Agency and local MP Tom Rutherford to make this a reality.

The Pāpāmoa East Interchange is key to improving network connectivity for existing residents and will also enable ongoing residential and commercial development.

"The opening of the Pāpāmoa East Interchange off-ramp by the end of August, which is nine months ahead of plan, is a great outcome for our people and will help ease traffic issues," says Mayor Mahé Drysdale.

Meanwhile, Councillor Steve Morris adds that the rest of the interchange will be open and ready to use in early-2026, which will have “a significant impact on improving traffic flows and ease of accessing the TEL from Pāpāmoa East".

“Mayor Drysdale worked with Minister Bishop to facilitate the early opening and I approached Tom Rutherford to ask for his help,” Steve says, “and between us all, we’ve managed to get a great result for the community."

"By working together, we have achieved a good, pragmatic outcome for our community, and I thank everyone for saying yes and getting this done," says Mahé.

The Council’s Programme Director: Major Transport Projects, Chris Barton, says construction is progressing well, with costs also forecast to be within budget.

More information is available on the Lets Talk Tauranga website: https://letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/projects/the-p%C4%81p%C4%81moa-east-interchange

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