Three bridges are now completed, with a massive road construction season ahead for Takitimu North Link says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

The Takitimu North Link project continues to carve impressively through the landscape with the focus shifting to major works at Fifteenth Ave, State Highway 29, and Minden Road, Te Puna key sites from spring. 

As planning for the next construction season progresses, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Regional Manager of Infrastructure Delivery for Waikato Bay of Plenty, Jo Wilton, says it’s a good chance to reflect on progress to date.

A new aerial flight over the worksite shows significant progress on the 6.8km four-lane expressway. 

“Our team has finished three bridges at Cambridge, Wairoa and Minden roads, and had its most productive earthworks season yet – reaching the target of 1,200,000m3 earthworks to date," says Jo.

“Along the way we’ve had lots of special moments – the blessings of new bridges with local hapū, seeing earthworks crews punch through under the new Wairoa Road overbridge, hosting rangatahi (young people) to learn about the infrastructure industry at the project’s careers expo, and the first 70,000 plants placed in the ground."

The off-ramp bridge across Minden Gully is complete and construction vehicles are hauling across the bridge, keeping trucks off SH2.  Photo: NZTA Waka Kotahi.

Jo says it's exciting to see work nearing completion on the local road layout at Moffat and Cambridge roads and St Andrews Drive, between Bethlehem and Tauriko.

"This was a key focus over the past year and is on track to finish late-September," says Jo.

"Our crew enjoyed completing some of the finishing touches in this area inviting our neighbours at Adventist School to join in planting plants at Matariki.”  

Jo says the crew has moved another step closer to a fully connected site with one of three bridges over Minden Gully complete, allowing construction vehicles to haul across and keep trucks off State Highway 2.

Work on the local road layout between Bethlehem and Tauriko is near complete – with a better line of sight at the Moffat/Cambridge roads intersection.  Photo: NZTA Waka Kotahi.

The final piece to connect the whole site is under Cambridge Road overbridge, with earthworks due to break through there this summer.  

Jo says while work on structures has continued through the winter months, earthworks paused for warmer weather.

Planning for the next construction season is in final stages and from September people will see work ramp up at three major works sites through 2025.

These are:

·       SH2/Fifteenth Ave - Major works to build the connection from Fifteenth Ave to SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Road (TDTR) will be underway spring 2024. Works involve the building of a 120m large retaining wall and earthworks, prior to the Fifteenth Ave bridge construction. One lane at SH2/Fifteenth Ave near Edgcumbe Road will be closed while this work takes place, and likely to remain so until mid-2025.  

·       SH29/TDTR - Work is underway to build a major interchange between Tauriko and Tauranga CBD. These works involve a reduced speed of 70km/h and temporarily realigning SH29/TDTR as the phases of work are completed. Read more  

·       Minden Road, Te Puna - Major works for the new Minden Road roundabouts and bridge tie in works will be underway winter 2024. This work is to form the diamond interchange at the western end of the project. This will become the new road alignment and allow for the Takitimu North Link expressway to be built underneath. Roundabouts will be built away from the road with support from our traffic management team as required.   

SH2/Fifteenth Ave – work underway to build an on-ramp bridge connection to SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Road. Photo: NZTA Waka Kotahi.

Work continues at several other locations on site with remaining bridges under construction at Smiths Farm, Wairoa Awa (River), and Minden Gully.

At SH2 Loop Road service relocations and installing environmental controls are in progress and a large culvert is being constructed. 

People can keep up to date with traffic impacts through our regular bulletins and on the NZTA Waka Kotahi Facebook page. Take extra care by following signs and instructions from our traffic management team.  

For more information about the project go to nzta.govt.nz/takitimunorth  

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey.

Keep up to date with:

• Traffic updates: journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
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• Journey planner: journeys.nzta.govt.nz
• Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)