On the morning of March 11 we went from Katikati to Tauranga via State Highway 2 with two cars to have one car serviced.

We left at 06am to arrive at 8.15am after a total unnecessary delay from roadwork as no work was done at all! One full hour in a traffic jam for nothing!

We had to repeat that trip later in the afternoon as we had to collect the car.

Leaving at 2.30pm to arrive at 5.15pm. After enduring a 2.5-hour traffic jam – again – for absolutely no reason as no work was done!

A stretch of less than 200 metres of the road had an uneven wobbly surface.

Is that a reason for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi to allow such ridiculous traffic jams?

We were thinking of the huge amount of losses; unnecessary costs to be made by thousands of people in a traffic jam of 8.5km.

In countries like Japan, China, Germany, and other European countries, such a road repairs would take a maximum of two nights to fix.

We are continuously confronted with huge delays on SH2 due to incompetence and greed from the very few roadwork companies, the duopolies, which force governments to use their ‘services’.

Our advice: Hire some traffic experts from such countries as listed above and take their advice.

Make sure you are no longer depending on the duopoly of roadwork companies that heavily underperform at taxpayers’ costs.

We are sure we are not the only complainants as about everyone we speak has reached his/her maximum of tolerance for these endless incompetency.

Erik Becker, Tanners Point.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi responds:

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi appreciates there were long delays on Monday, March 11 due to works at the Te Puna Stream bridge.

While the work has been happening at night, the worksite was at a different level to the normal road, which is why there has been a 30km/hr speed limit in place during the day.

The works will be completed March 13, with the speed limit back to posted limit of 80km/hr tomorrow, March 14.