The detour will be removed and State Highway 3 reinstated to two lanes by early Saturday morning.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency thanks road users for their patience and understanding while the major works were carried out.

Regional Manager Maintenance and Operations Jaclyn Hankin says the project was initially scheduled to take about 12 weeks but the majority of the work was completed in an eight-week construction period, largely due to the detour being in place.

“We acknowledge the substantial detour added time to many people’s journeys. This is a vital highway link for the region with more than 11,000 vehicles per day, and we were committed to improving the quality of the highway as quickly as possible.”

The works have been completed quickly despite wet weather and reopening the road to two lanes for Labour Weekend and again from Friday 29 October to Sunday 7 November to ensure the successful running of the Taranaki Garden Festival and Taranaki Arts Trail events.

“Having a detour for one lane of traffic instead of a Stop/Go approach reduced the volume of vehicles travelling through the site, enabling the shorter construction period, while also being safer for both road users and our road workers,” says Ms Hankin.

The works saw  areas of the highway rebuilt, seven sections resealed – including four intersections, and other essential maintenance works, such as replacing road markers, cleaning signs, clearing drains, and replacing some bridge joints, also carried out.

Overall, work on this stretch of highway involved:

• More than 60 pieces of machinery
• 15,000 tonnes of aggregate (sand, gravel, crushed stone) – enough to fill four Olympic swimming pools
• 850 tonnes of cement
• Nearly 4,000 road cones and signs
• More than 8,000 working hours

While the bulk of the work has been done, crews still need to complete the finishing touches at the Norfolk Road intersection. This was unable to be completed due to recent wet weather.

Motorists are urged to stick to the temporary speed limits that will remain in place on the highway until the new seal has set.  This is crucial to ensure the longevity of the seal.

Ms Hankin says it is likely a similar detour approach will be used for roadworks across the region in future, with a detour for northbound traffic under consideration for road renewal work on SH3 south of Eltham scheduled for early next year.

Above: Major road works on SH3 between Inglewood and Midhirst have been completed and the detour will be removed by early Saturday morning.

The road had been operating under Stop/Go and there are currently  lane shifts with a temporary speed limit in place, which has caused significant delays.

The contractors expect to complete the repairs and be off the road by 3pm. However traffic is likely to take a while to clear, particularly with works at the SH5/State Highway 36 Ngongotahā roundabout ongoing. Motorists are asked to avoid the area and delay their travel or consider alternate routes, where possible.

Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience.

Contractors will be following strict industry standards provided by Construction Health and Safety NZ (CHASNZ) to ensure the safety of workers and road users. People must maintain safe physical distancing of two metres when walking/cycling near the sites.

Some delays are expected at times, and motorists are advised to plan and allow extra time for their journeys. There may be an increase in people walking and cycling around the site, so please be careful when driving near them.

Work sites for the week starting Sunday 12 December 

• State Highway 30, Te Ngae Road and Sala Street intersection: Contractors continue work to improve the shared path at the corner of Sala Street and SH30/Te Ngae Road. This work will be done under an off-peak shoulder closure and may cause minor delays.
• State Highway 30, Tarawera Road to Sala Street: Contractors continue concreting and fencing work on the shared path between Tarawera Road and Sala Street. This work will be done under an off-peak westbound lane closure and a detour for people walking and cycling.
• State Highway 30, Tarawera Road intersection: Landscaping and hydroseeding works continue in the berm on the Redwood Centre side of Tarawera Road and SH30/Te Ngae Road. This work will be done under a westbound lane off-peak closure, which may cause moderate delays.
• State Highway 30, Tarawera Road intersection: Contractors continue work on the cycle lane markings on the eastbound lanes. This work will be done under an eastbound lane and shoulder closure, which may cause minor delays.
• State Highway 30, Tarawera Road to Neil Hunt Park: Works continue to complete the landscaping and top soiling next to the shared path. This will require a lane shift for traffic, which may cause minor delays.
• State Highway 30, Marino Road: Contractors continue work on the shared path and seating area at the corner of Marino Road. This work will require eastbound off-peak lane closures, which may cause minor delays.
• State Highway 30, Allen Mills Road to Iles Road: Contractors continue work on the shared path and berm reinstatement on the northern side of SH30/Te Ngae Road. This work requires eastbound lane closures during off-peak hours, which may cause moderate delays. The installation of street lights and shared path work on the southern side of SH30/Te Ngae Road between Allen Mills Road to Iles Road continues. Access for people walking and cycling will be maintained with traffic management in place. This work will be done under westbound off-peak lane closures and may cause moderate delays.
• State Highway 30, Tennyson Drive intersection: Work continues on the raised safety tables at the SH30/Te Ngae Road and Tennyson Drive, Brent Road and Tumene Drive intersections with minimal traffic management in place, this is not expected to cause any delays.
• State Highway 30, between Iles Road and Brent Road: Geotechnical ground investigations will take place on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 December on the eastbound lanes between Iles Road and Brent Road. The findings will provide a good understanding of the ground conditions and inform the design of the SH30 Eastern Corridor Stage Two improvements.

While these investigation activities generate some noise, contractors will aim to keep the noise to a minimum. The work will also include braking up the road surface, which will be reinstated on completion. Traffic management will be in place, including temporary lane closures, and may cause delays.

Temporary speed limits of 30km/h or 50km/h are in place for everyone’s safety at the above work sites, including when workers are off-site.

All pedestrian crossings at the SH30/Te Ngae Road and Tarawera Road intersection are now open, providing safe crossing points. People walking and cycling are encouraged to use the signalised crossings at Sala Street, Iles Road, Marino Road and Tarawera Road.

Most of the shared path is now open and works are underway to complete the last sections of the shared path on the northern side of Te Ngae Road between Marino and Iles roads.

Access for people walking and cycling is maintained throughout the whole site.

In the event of bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances, work may be postponed.

Check daily updated closure information

Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 8pm and finish at 5am.

Northern Motorway (SH1)

• Northbound lanes between Silverdale off-ramp and Waiwera on-ramp, 12-16 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Orewa northbound on-ramp, 12-16 December
• Silverdale northbound on-ramp, 12-16 December
• Oteha Valley Road southbound on-ramp, 14 December
• Greville Road northbound on-ramp, 15-16 December
• Southbound lanes between Upper Harbour Highway off-ramp and Tristram Avenue on-ramp, 12-16 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Upper Harbour Highway southbound on-ramp, 12-16 December
• Upper Harbour Highway northbound off-ramp, 12-14 December
• Tristram Avenue northbound on-ramp, 13 December
• Esmonde Road (loop) northbound on-ramp, 13 December
• Stafford Road northbound off-ramp, 15 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Shelly Beach Road southbound off-ramp, 13 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Curran Street northbound on-ramp, 15-16 December

Central Motorway Junction (CMJ)

• Wellington Street northbound on-ramp, 15 December

Southern Motorway (SH1)

• Khyber Pass Road northbound off-ramp, 16 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Gillies Avenue northbound on-ramp, 16 December
• Southbound lanes between Papakura off-ramp and Drury/SH22 on-ramp, 12-14 December
• Papakura southbound on-ramp, 12-14 December
• Northbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 12-16 December
• Drury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 12-16 December
• Southbound lanes between Bombay off-ramp and Bombay on-ramp, 15 December (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)
• Bombay northbound off-ramp, 15 December (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)
• Beaver Road northbound off-ramp, 15 December (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)
• Beaver Road northbound on-ramp, 15 December
• Nikau Road northbound on-ramp, 15 December

Northwestern Motorway (SH16)

• Te Atatu southbound off-ramp, 12 December

Upper Harbour Motorway (SH18)

• Greenhithe Road eastbound on-ramp, 12 December

Southwestern Motorway (SH20)

• Maioro Street southbound on-ramp, 15 December
• Massey Road southbound off-ramp, 16 December
• Southbound lanes between Puhinui Road off-ramp and SH1 links, 16 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
• Puhinui Road southbound on-ramp, 16 December
• Cavendish Drive southbound on-ramp, 16 December
• Lambie Drive southbound on-ramp, 16 December

George Bolt Memorial Drive (SH20a)

• None planned

Puhinui Road (SH20b)

• None planned

State Highway 22 (SH22)

• None planned

State Highway 2 (SH2)

• None planned

Please follow the signposted detours. Waka Kotahi thanks you for your co-operation during these essential improvements and maintenance.

To check for the most current overnight closure information please visit www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/auckland before you leave.

Auckland roads and public transport: www.at.govt.nz

The 50kW rapid charging station was installed late last month and plugs a gap in Aotearoa New Zealand’s EV charging network between the two nearest 50kW rapid charging stations at New Plymouth and Te Kuiti. It is the result of inter-agency and business collaboration between Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, ChargeNet and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), with support from Waitomo District Council.

Waka Kotahi Senior Manager Environment and Sustainability Lisa Rossiter says this collaborative approach is key to building out the EV charging infrastructure network nationwide and creating a network that keeps EV drivers connected, wherever they travel.

“We believe it is important electric vehicle drivers feel confident to travel across Aotearoa New Zealand’s state highways. In April 2017, we set a vision for nationwide coverage of fast charging stations every 75kms across our state highways. The installation at Mokau puts another piece of that puzzle in place.

“Transport makes up about half of Aotearoa New Zealand’s carbon emissions, with most of this coming from road transport. New technology, like electric vehicles, is opening up the range of transport choices that people can make. This creates better choices for New Zealanders and contributes to a low-carbon transport future for New Zealand,” Ms Rossiter says.

ChargeNet Communications Manager Bailey Gorst says the Mokau charging station is another important link in their nationwide network of more than 250 rapid (25-50kW) and hyper-rapid (300kW) charging stations, and is delighted it’s now live and operational in time for summer.

“Mokau has been a critical gap in the network. The 50kW DC rapid charging station will make travel on State Highway 3 between Te Kuiti and New Plymouth a lot easier, especially for those with shorter-range EVs, when up to this point, it either wasn’t possible or may have required an overnight stop.”

The rapid charging station was jointly funded by ChargeNet and EECA, with funding from round 7 of EECA’s Low Emission Transport Fund (LETF).

EECA Transport Portfolio Manager Richard Briggs says EECA is taking the lead in growing the charging network with companies like ChargeNet, and recently completed consultation on EV charging infrastructure to develop a roadmap for the future roll-out of the public EV charging network and to inform future Low Emissions Transport Fund (LETF) rounds.

“Continuing to fill the remaining few gaps in the network will be a priority for the LETF, and we look forward to many more collaborative projects like these, in order to give New Zealanders the confidence that an EV will meet their needs, so we can continue to decarbonise the transport sector.”

The EV charging infrastructure roadmap is part of a cross-agency EV infrastructure plan being led by Ministry of Transport, with support from EECA, Waka Kotahi and Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment.

These works are part of the Waka Kotahi road maintenance programme to repair and reseal state highways across the Bay of Plenty to ensure the safety and resilience of the transport network.

Asphalt resurfacing:

• Sunday 12 December: State Highway 2 Te Puna – works in both directions between Clarke Road and Te Puna Road. Stop/Go traffic management with a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place during the works, which will be completed between 8pm and 5am, finishing Monday morning. 

• Monday 13 December: State Highway 2 Hewletts Road – works in eastbound direction only, between Waimarie Street and Maru Street. A temporary speed limit of 50km/h will be in place, with two lanes open for traffic during working hours. The works will be completed between 8pm and 5am, finishing Tuesday morning. 

• Tuesday 14 December: State Highway 2 Hewletts Road – works in westbound direction only between Tasman Quay and the Tauranga Harbour Bridge. A temporary speed limit of 50km/h will be in place during the works, with one lane open for traffic. The works will be completed between 8pm and 5am, finishing Wednesday morning. 

• Thursday 16 December: State Highway 29A Poike Roundabout – works in the northbound and southbound lanes on the roundabout approaches. A temporary speed limit of 30km/h will be in place during the works, with a lane open in each direction for traffic. The works will be completed between 8pm and 5am, finishing Friday morning. 

Other works: 

• Sunday 12 December to Wednesday 15 December: State Highway 2 Tauranga Harbour Bridge – work crews will be undertaking repairs to bridge rails that were damaged during an event last weekend. A temporary speed limit of 30km/h will be in place during the works, with one lane open for traffic during working hours, between 8pm and 5am. Both lanes will be available between 5am and 8pm. 

• Wednesday 15 December: State Highway 2 Takitimu Drive – work crews will be locating services on both sides of the road from the Koromiko Street off-ramp to the Waihi Road on-ramp on the night of 15 December, between 7am and 6am. Mobile lane closures will be in place, with tail pilots and shadow vehicles to guide traffic into the correct lane.

In the event of bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances, work may be postponed. Visit the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner (journeys.nzta.govt.nz) website for up to date information on the road closure, detours, traffic, road works and delays.

Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience.

On Tuesday 14 December State Highway 25 will be closed at Kereta Hill, south of Coromandel, from 10am to 3pm for vehicle recovery.

The vehicle went off the road just below the Manaia Road lookout and the highway needs to be closed so that it can be safely removed.

The Hikuai River bridge on State Highway 25 south of Tairua will be closed overnight from Sunday 19 December to Wednesday 22 December, between 8pm and 5am.  

The closure is to allow for the completion of work started in November to bolt steel plates to the bridge deck, to ensure the deck is safe for the summer holiday traffic. During the day the bridge will reopen to traffic under a temporary speed limit.  

For both closures there are no detour routes available, with the only available alternative route using State Highway 25 and State Highway 25A around the Coromandel Peninsula. Motorists are advised to plan ahead and delay their travel for outside the closures, where possible.  

Emergency services will have access through both worksites.

Waka Kotahi thanks drivers for their patience.