The final stage of Tauranga‘s Baypark to Bayfair Link Upgrade will get underway in May.

CPB Contractors have been awarded the contract to build the second, and final, phase of the project, which includes two flyovers.

One flyover will take State Highway 29A traffic over the railway line and the Te Maunga intersection, and the other will take State Highway 2 traffic up and over the Maunganui-Girven roundabout.

Transport Agency Bay of Plenty highways manager Niclas Johansson says the contractors are likely to be onsite from mid-May and people will start to notice changes over the coming months.

“The design and construct team will now begin developing the final design, and we can expect to see site offices established and relocation of existing services to begin relatively soon, with major earthworks commencing later in the year when weather conditions typically improve.”

The Baypark to Bayfair Link Upgrade is designed to reduce congestion and improve safety by separating local and state highway traffic. It will also support economic growth in the region by improving the route to the Port of Tauranga.

Johansson says stage one, which involved enabling works, major earthworks, and the relocation of the East Coast Main Trunk Line railway line, was completed in December 2016.

“All going to plan we expect to have traffic using the new flyovers by 2020.

Once it is finished it will make a real difference to commuters.”

As part of the contract the existing Maunganui-Girven Road intersection will also be upgraded, the Te Maunga roundabout replaced with an elevated interchange, and walking and cycling connections will be improved between Baypark and Bayfair.

The proposed walking and cycling facilities are currently being reviewed during the final design phase. The Transport Agency hopes to complete the review and identify any potential improvements to the current design before work starts.

The $120 million Baypark to Bayfair Link Upgrade will connect to the Tauranga Eastern Link, completing the Eastern Corridor for the Bay of Plenty.

The Eastern Corridor provides an efficient and safe route to the Port of Tauranga, encouraging economic growth and productivity in line with the strategic direction set by the 2015 Government Policy Statement (GPS) on land transport.