A three-month trial reopening of the Hairini Street slip lane onto Turret Road outside morning peak hours starts on Monday, 20 October.

The slip lane was closed to general traffic for public safety and efficiency reasons following the completion of the Maungatapu underpass and since July 2018 has been open to buses only.

Tauranga City Council approved the trial reopening in July 2025 to allow Hairini residents and their visitors to use this lane to improve access to routes out of the community.

The slip lane will reopen from 20 October 2025 to 20 January 2026, except during the morning peak hours of 6.30am to 9.30am, Monday to Friday when it will remain buses only for safety reasons. A $150 fine may be issued if the slip lane is used during this time.

The reopening applies only to the slip lane. The section of bus lane after the merge will remain a bus lane only at all times. Any vehicles which continue in the bus lane past the designated merge point, at any time, also risk a $150 fine.

For more information about the trial visit letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/sliplanetrial

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