📋 Tender Overview
7 April
Due to weather, works tonight (Tuesday 7 April) and tomorrow night (Wednesday 8 April) have been cancelled. Another update will be provided once new dates for these works have been confirmed.
31 March
Additional traffic management measures are being introduced on State Highway 29 (SH29) and at the intersection of Omanawa Road in Taurangas western corridor, as part of the Omanawa Bridge replacement project.
Adrian Jones, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, says the measures are designed to make turning movements safer and to encourage better compliance with the reduced speed limit through the worksite.
Safety is our top priority. With construction activity increasing and visibility changing as the new road alignment is built up, these temporary measures will help protect everyone accessing the state highway, travelling through the site and our crews on the ground, says Mr Jones.
To support safer movement at the intersection, the project will introduce:
a clearly marked merge lane on SH29 for people turning right out of Omanawa Road
a ban on right turns into Omanawa Road
a relocated limit line on Omanawa Road to improve visibility.
The new layout includes a dedicated merge lane that helps people turning right out of Omanawa Road to join SH29 safely. The Omanawa Road limit line will also be moved forward, giving drivers a clearer view of eastbound traffic and allowing them to cross one lane before merging safely with westbound vehicles.
Right turns into Omanawa Road will be temporarily stopped to create space for the merge lane and simplify traffic movements at the intersection. Drivers wanting to turn right into Omanawa Road will be able to use a short detour of approximately 3km (around 4 minutes) via the SH29/Redwood Lane roundabout.
To support safer speeds, larger speed limit signs, improved road markings and side islands will be installed to the west of the intersection to reinforce the temporary 50km/h speed limit.
The new SH29 alignment is being built higher than the existing highway, requiring significant earthworks near the road boundary. Additional material will be placed on the new road formation for around 6 months to help the ground settle, which will temporarily reduce visibility of westbound traffic for people turning right out of Omanawa Road.
To keep everyone safe while this work is underway, were adjusting the layout, so drivers have better visibility and traffic movements are more predictable.
Were confident the combination of these measures best balances safety and efficiency for local road users and through traffic on the state highway. We will continue to monitor traffic conditions and driver behaviour along the corridor and thank everyone for their patience as we improve the safety and resilience of this important state highway, says Mr Jones.
To implement the changes, stop/go and a reduced 30km/h speed limit will be in place between 7pm and 6am each night from Tuesday 7 April until Thursday 9 April. These works are weather dependent. People are asked to drive with extra care while nightworks are underway.
