Contractors had moved into the final stages of the Ōmokoroa roundabout project, with work to be completed by the end of March, according to the Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

The council’s infrastructure growth and delivery manager, Annelie Badenhorst, said State Highway 2 and peninsula drivers travelling through the roundabout would soon enjoy a smoother ride – but the work’s completion would depend on the weather.

During the next few weeks, crews would lay structural asphalt layers at the roundabout and along the road for about 60m in each direction.

These layers would make the road stronger in the high-stress areas, Badenhorst said. Once this was done, the team would move on to apply the final road surface across the whole area. “These works will take place between 6pm and 6am, Sunday to Thursday nights.

“We expect the surfacing to take around four weeks to complete. However, this timeframe is heavily dependent on weather conditions,” Badenhorst said.

During the night work, stop/go operations using temporary traffic lights would be in place to manage traffic safely through the works.

“Please follow all signage and speed restrictions. Overnight delays may be longer than usual, so allow extra time if you’re travelling through the area,” Badenhorst said.

Once the road surfacing was finished, crews would complete the finishing touches, including signage, safety barriers, landscaping and line marking.

Designed to improve safety and traffic flow, the SH2/Ōmokoroa Rd roundabout was a minimum 10-year interim solution to address the needs of the intersection until funding becomes available to build a full interchange through NZ Transport Agency’s proposed Tauranga Northern Link Stage 2.

Find out more at: https://nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh2-waihi-to-tauranga-corridor/takitimu-north-link/stage-2-te-puna-to-omokoroa

Badenhorst said it was exciting to see the Ōmokoroa roundabout project nearing completion. “Seeing it come together is an important milestone in helping to deliver better, safer journeys for the community.”

However, works on Ōmokoroa Rd would continue over the coming months, she said.

For more information on this project, see yourplace.westernbay.govt.nz