Tauranga Eastern Motorway
Encyclopedia
The Tauranga Eastern Motorway, now known as Tauranga Eastern Link is a proposed motorway in the Bay of Plenty
region in New Zealand
that will replace a section of State Highway 2
. It will cover 23 km from Te Maunga junction to Paengaroa, and will improve access from the east (Te Puke
, Whakatane
, Opotiki
, Gisborne
) and south from Rotorua
and Taupo
. It is the main route for trucks heading to the Port of Tauranga
from Rotorua and the eastern Bay of Plenty, and connects the central plateau forestry industry with the port to facilitate lumber export.
Construction of the Tauranga Eastern Link starts in 2011 and it is expected to take five to six years, depending on soil and weather conditions. All going well, it will be open to traffic in 2016.
Tolling received significant community support (92% both conditional and unconditional) and as a result, NZTA submitted a tolling proposal to the Cabinet who approved it. The Order in Council will set out the parameters of the road tolling scheme, including all of the relevant conditions from which the NZTA would be eligible to toll the route – such as when tolling can start, toll tariffs, and how the scheme will operate.
and follows its existing route to the Domain Road intersection with State Highway 2 at Papamoa. It then leaves the current state highway route and crosses rural land parallel to Tara Road, across Parton Road and along the sandhills to the Kaituna River at the end of Bell Road. At this point the highway crosses the river and carries on past the Kaituna Wildlife Management Reserve. It heads south east across dairy farms and orchard lots before rising up over the railway line to join the existing junction of State Highways 2 and 33 (the Rotorua and Whakatane highways) near Paengaroa.
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
region in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
that will replace a section of State Highway 2
New Zealand State Highway 2
State Highway 2 is one of New Zealand's eight national highways. With the exception of State Highway 1, which runs the length of both of the country's main islands, SH 2 is the longest highway in the North Island...
. It will cover 23 km from Te Maunga junction to Paengaroa, and will improve access from the east (Te Puke
Te Puke
Te Puke is a town located 28 kilometres southeast of Tauranga in the Western Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. It is particularly famous for the cultivation of kiwifruit...
, Whakatane
Whakatane
Whakatane is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region, in the North Island of New Zealand, and is the seat of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Whakatane is 90 km east of Tauranga and 89 km north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatane River.The town has a population of , with...
, Opotiki
Opotiki
Opotiki is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Opotiki District Council and comes under the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.-Population:* of the town: 4176 - Male 1,989, Female 2,187...
, Gisborne
Gisborne, New Zealand
-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
) and south from Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
and Taupo
Taupo
Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....
. It is the main route for trucks heading to the Port of Tauranga
Port of Tauranga
Port of Tauranga is the port of Tauranga, New Zealand, the largest port in the country in terms of total cargo volume, and the second largest in terms of container throughput. with Port of Tauranga Ltd being the company operating it...
from Rotorua and the eastern Bay of Plenty, and connects the central plateau forestry industry with the port to facilitate lumber export.
Key features
- Four lanes, two in each direction, providing a safer and more direct route between Tauranga to Paengaroa.
- Central median barrier.
- New intersections for Sandhurst Drive, Domain Road and Paengaroa junction (SH2/33).
- New overbridge for Parton and underpass for Maketu Roads.
- Urban design incorporating extensive landscaping.
- Electronic free-flow tolling system.
Objectives
- Support the managed growth for the area;
- Improve efficiency and contribute to economic development through improved travel time;
- Provide a more direct route to the Port of Tauranga;
- Provide a safer route between Tauranga and Paengaroa.
Construction of the Tauranga Eastern Link starts in 2011 and it is expected to take five to six years, depending on soil and weather conditions. All going well, it will be open to traffic in 2016.
Tolling received significant community support (92% both conditional and unconditional) and as a result, NZTA submitted a tolling proposal to the Cabinet who approved it. The Order in Council will set out the parameters of the road tolling scheme, including all of the relevant conditions from which the NZTA would be eligible to toll the route – such as when tolling can start, toll tariffs, and how the scheme will operate.
Route
Tauranga Eastern Link begins at Te Maunga (near Baypark Stadium) in TaurangaTauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
and follows its existing route to the Domain Road intersection with State Highway 2 at Papamoa. It then leaves the current state highway route and crosses rural land parallel to Tara Road, across Parton Road and along the sandhills to the Kaituna River at the end of Bell Road. At this point the highway crosses the river and carries on past the Kaituna Wildlife Management Reserve. It heads south east across dairy farms and orchard lots before rising up over the railway line to join the existing junction of State Highways 2 and 33 (the Rotorua and Whakatane highways) near Paengaroa.
Exit list
| Territorial authority | Location | Exit Exit number An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore.... |
Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminates onto roundabout at Te Maunga | ||||
| Western Bay of Plenty Western Bay of Plenty District 200px|rightThe Western Bay of Plenty District Council is a municipality in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand. The seat of the district council is at Greerton in Tauranga City... |
Te Maunga | Mount Maunganui Mount Maunganui Mount Maunganui is a town in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, located on a peninsula to the north of Tauranga. It was independent from Tauranga until the completion of the Tauranga Harbour Bridge in 1988.... |
||
| Sandhurst | Mount Maunganui Mount Maunganui Mount Maunganui is a town in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, located on a peninsula to the north of Tauranga. It was independent from Tauranga until the completion of the Tauranga Harbour Bridge in 1988.... |
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| Domain Road | Papamoa Papamoa Papamoa is the largest suburb of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty region on the northeastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand.... |
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| Bell Road | Papamoa Papamoa Papamoa is the largest suburb of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty region on the northeastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand.... |
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| Rangiuru | Rangiuru Business Park | |||
| Paengaroa Road | Paengaroa | |||
| Terminates onto roundabout at Paengaroa | ||||