Construction on the new Hairini underpass will begin later this year, New Zealand Transport Agency confirmed today.
This comes after funding was confirmed by the agency, which allows the next phase of the project to progress to detailed design and construction.
View from Hairini causeway to Maungatapu underpass.
NZTA highways manager, Brett Gliddon, says in addition to providing more efficient traffic flows, the underpass will make travel safer and easier for pedestrians and cyclists from all directions.
'The underpass will provide a two lane link underneath the Maungatapu roundabout which will connect directly to Welcome Bay Road and will provide improved travel for State Highway 29 traffic through the separation of local and state highway traffic,” says Brett.
'This important decision allows us to proceed with the next phase of selecting a design and construction team.
'We have received registrations of interests from companies, who would like to put in a tender for the contract,” says Brett.
Brett says it will take approximately 6-8 months for the contract to be awarded, with an announcement of the successful tender to be made later this year.
Bay of Plenty MP Tony Ryall is welcoming the announcement of the construction phase as a 'significant milestone for the region”.
'This is fantastic news for the region. The underpass will not only boost the economy by making traffic flow more efficiently through the region, it will also make it safer and easier for pedestrians and cyclists travelling from all directions,” says Tony.
'In September 2011, this Government announced we were committed to improving safety and congestion at this busy connection, and we are delivering on that promise.”
'After an extensive 18 month investigation into options to improve the movement of freight and safety of road users at this location, the underpass was identified as the best transport solution for separating the local and state highway traffic.
'I am pleased to say that the Transport Agency is now in the process of securing a contractor to build the approximate $68 million underpass.”
13 comments
Overit
Posted on 03-03-2014 14:23 | By overit
I sincerely hope all of this does not interrupt the traffic flow out of WB while under construction. It doesn't take much for WB road to grind to a standstill.
Underpass
Posted on 03-03-2014 16:44 | By peter pan
Easy knowing it is election year
Here we go
Posted on 03-03-2014 17:46 | By YOGI BEAR
Over priced 'parking lot' for Welcome Bay residents awaiting a chance to dash across the Causeway to Turret Road. Nothing else will change.
@overit
Posted on 03-03-2014 18:37 | By Colleen Spiro
I sincerely hope you have given a thought to people that have to find new homes in this process, and another who has to put up with years of earthworks around her…… I for one have had 5 years of crap with NZTA and everyone else involved. I am being offered 240,000 for my home and I am bloody over looking for houses that I cannot afford. The Public works act is evil….. I AM TRULY OVERIT.
good
Posted on 03-03-2014 22:07 | By Capt_Kaveman
thing its on the move but again a lack of common sense and a bad design like much of Tauranga roads
just to add
Posted on 03-03-2014 22:10 | By Capt_Kaveman
A state highway should always have priority over a local crossroad thus being WB the lights and painted lanes are a joke
Really!
Posted on 04-03-2014 07:44 | By freedomkiwis
All very well to supposedly solve the roundabout problem, but it changes nothing when you suddenly hit the ONE LANE each going over the Turret Rd bridge. That road and 15th Ave should be part of the remedial work as well
About time
Posted on 04-03-2014 10:14 | By Rate1
Everyone is whinging and moaning about the underpass. Same people probably whinge and moan if it wasn't going ahead. Think of the positives from this. I think that it's great that this underpass is going ahead. Sure...Turret Road bridge will be a bottleneck but that is planned to be upgraded. Construction works can interrupt traffic etc, but think about what it is going to be like when completed...no more round-a-bout and lights to contend with.
Chest thumping councillors have got their way
Posted on 04-03-2014 10:30 | By Annalist
Remember all the screaming about needing an underpass. Remember some councillors even voting against the traffic lights (which actually have improved things) and demanding the underpass immediately. But to be fair, the mayor always said it would just shift the problem down to Turrett Rd and of course it will.
And 3-4 years to complete
Posted on 04-03-2014 11:38 | By The Caveman
Yes, its going to take 3-4 years to complete just like every other section of road works. Just watch there will be one digger, one truck and one man (sorry possibly a woman) with a spade and ten supervisors. Instead of ten diggers, ten trucks, ten men on spades and ONE supervisor. And the problem WILL move to the bridge, Turret Road & 15th Avenue.
Can't wait
Posted on 04-03-2014 13:02 | By deacks
Hairini residents will benefit so much from this not having to put up with all of welcome bay, and ohauiti coming through the suburb.
14GK
Posted on 04-03-2014 13:50 | By 1 4 GK
I moved to Tauranga over 20 years ago now and the underpass (tunnel) was mooted way back then. Now we're actually going to get one but seemingly there's a few that don't want it any more.... If we turn down the $68M it'll go to some other City and we'll wait another 20 years!
SHIFTING THE BLAME
Posted on 04-03-2014 16:47 | By Colleen Spiro
In the 2008 the Government PROMISED to complete both the tunnel and the Turret Road....yes repeat PROMISED......and it has been stated over and over that this promise would be honoured ....BUT....then our MAYOR Crosby and Councillors decided that they would trade off Route K debt for Turret Road, therefore making it Councils responsibility.. So when does everyone think that the Turret Road end of the bargain will now be fulfilled by our Council and why were the residents not consulted on deals that were promised to us….The Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout is on record as saying that there is no point having one without the other. NZTA want traffic off SH29. http://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/53473-route-kturret-road-swap-ahead.html
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.