Construction of the new four-lane expressway connecting Tauranga and Te Puna continues to make great progress with the team racking up two million hours of work on the Takitimu North Link project so far, as the third year of construction draws to a close.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi acting regional manager of infrastructure delivery Bruce Waugh says reflecting on the significant progress is a great way to wrap up 2024.

“It’s been a cracking year for the crews on site. Four out of 10 bridges have been built, 1.5 million cubic metres of dirt has been shifted, and local roads are finished in the Bethlehem/Tauriko area.

“It’s exciting to see the new road alignment really begin to take shape. The expressway will bring strong safety benefits and increased productivity for people travelling through the western Bay of Plenty.

“Being an ‘offline’ project, with much of the work happening away from the road, it’s not always visible to the public, but people can get regular progress updates through drone footage and our newsletter at nzta.govt.nz/takitimunorth."

Waugh said in the Wairoa Valley, bookended by the newly constructed Cambridge Rd and Wairoa Rd bridges, there is a heap of activity happening with earthworks and environmental controls each side of Wairoa Awa (river), and the construction of the 355m bridge which spans the valley flood plains.

“The road will provide the community with opportunities to enjoy the awa in ways not experienced for a very long time, providing access to the riverbanks in this area.”

He said this Road of National Significance project is more than building great infrastructure, with wider benefits such as providing jobs and career opportunities, contributing to local economy and upskilling communities.

“It’s well understood in the industry that these major infrastructure projects have far reaching benefits to the communities they are in. With Takitimu North Link more than 200 people are employed, and more than 2000 have worked on various aspects of the project to date.

“Projects of this size and scale need a range of skills throughout the project life and, to date, we’ve worked with nearly 200 subcontractors with half of those being local businesses based here in the Western Bay. Some of the types of businesses we work with that people might not realise are occupational health, security, cleaning, energy, signage, shade and ecology.”

There’s a high level of interest in the site from an environmental perspective, with several industry groups visiting site and knowledge sharing through the project’s extensive environmental programme.

Fast facts

- More than 200 people working on the project

- More than 2000 people inducted and worked on various aspects of the project to date

- 2 million hours worked since the project started

- 200 subcontractors engaged with half of those local businesses

- 4 bridges built

- 1.5 million cubic metres of dirt moved

- 9km of piles driven

- 11,000 cubic metres of concrete poured

- 800,000 linear metres of wick drains, to reduce settlement time

- 70,000 plants in the ground, of more than 900,000 required

- Estimated completion 2028

Key sites for the 2024/25 construction season:

- SH2/Fifteenth Ave - Major works to build the connection from Fifteenth Ave to SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Rd (TDTR) are under way. Works involve the building of a 120m large retaining wall and earthworks, prior to the Fifteenth Ave bridge construction.

- SH29/TDTR - Work is under way to build a major interchange between Tauriko and Tauranga CBD.

- Minden Rd, Te Puna - Major works for the new Minden Rd roundabouts and bridge tie-in works are under way. This work is to form the diamond interchange at the western end of the project.

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 Rd a large culvert is being constructed.

The Takitimu North Link Stage 1 project is a Road of National Significance supporting economic growth and productivity in the western Bay of Plenty, by providing a reliable, resilient and safe expressway connection between Tauranga and Te Puna.

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.

Aerial photos – then and now

Cambridge Rd 2022 (top), and 2024 (bottom)

Cambridge Rd 2022.

Cambridge Rd in 2024.

Harrison Rd 2022, and 2024

Harrison Rd in 2022.

Harrison Rd in 2024.

Wairoa River 2022 and 2024

Wairoa River in 2022.

Wairoa River in 2024.

Wairoa Rd bridge 2022 and 2024

Wairoa Rd bridge in 2022.

Wairoa Rd bridge in 2024.

Minden Gully 2022 and 2024

Minden Gully in 2022.

Minden Gully in 2024.

- SunLive