Works on the Wairoa Cycleway have begun this week.

The works are to construct the last 800m of the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway, which will enable safe cycling on the narrow strip of State Highway 2 (SH2) between the Wairoa Bridge and Bethlehem.

Off-road work has begun on the underpass from the Wairoa River clip-on bridge that will lead to an on-road, two-way cycleway which crosses at Taniwha Place and continues along SH2 to a signalised crossing connecting to Carmichael Road.

New kerb and channel is also being constructed at the entrance to Taniwha Place, where the left-hand slip lane will become part of the cycleway.

Traffic management and restricted speed around the site will be required for the duration of the cycleway construction period which is expected to be about three months.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is expecting to start some major road resurfacing along the stretch of SH2 from Wairoa Bridge to Bethlehem in the next few weeks which will require overnight road closures in this area for about three days once it begins. More information will be shared about this once the start date is confirmed.

A new speed limit of 50kmph will be activated between the Wairoa River bridge and Bethlehem once the cycleway is completed.

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