The Takitimu North Link project continues to carve through the landscape with the focus shifting to major works at Fifteenth Ave, SH29, and Minden Road, Te Puna key sites from spring.

As planning for the next construction season progresses, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi regional manager of infrastructure delivery for Waikato Bay of Plenty, Jo Wilton, said it’s a good chance to reflect on progress to date – a new aerial flight over the worksite shows significant progress on the 6.8km four-lane expressway.

“Our team has finished three bridges at Cambridge, Wairoa and Minden roads, and had its most productive earthworks season yet – reaching the target of 1,200,000m³ earthworks to date,” Wilton said.

“Along the way we’ve had lots of special moments – the blessings of new bridges with local hapū, seeing earthworks crews punch through under the new Wairoa Road overbridge, hosting rangatahi (young people) to learn about the infrastructure industry at the project’s careers expo, and the first 70,000 plants placed in the ground.

“It’s exciting to see work nearing completion on the local road layout at Moffat and Cambridge roads and St Andrews Drive, between Bethlehem and Tauriko,” she said.

“This was a key focus over the past year and is on track to finish late-September. Our crew enjoyed completing some of the finishing touches in this area, inviting our neighbours at Adventist School to join in planting plants at Matariki.”

The crew has moved another step closer to a fully connected site with one of three bridges over Minden Gully complete, allowing construction vehicles to haul across and keep trucks off SH2. The final piece to connect the whole site, is under Cambridge Road overbridge, with earthworks due to break through here this summer.

While work on structures has continued through the winter months, earthworks paused for warmer weather. Planning for the next construction season is in final stages and from September people will see work ramp up at three major works sites through 2025:

SH2/Fifteenth Ave – Major works to build the connection from Fifteenth Ave to SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Road (TDTR) will be underway spring 2024. Works involve the building of a 120m large retaining wall and earthworks, prior to the Fifteenth Ave bridge construction. One lane at SH2/Fifteenth Ave near Edgcumbe Road will be closed while this work takes place, and likely to remain so until mid-2025.

SH29/TDTR – Work is underway to build a major interchange between Tauriko and Tauranga CBD. These works involve a reduced speed of 70km/h and temporarily realigning SH29/TDTR as the phases of work are completed.

Minden Road, Te Puna – Major works for the new Minden Road roundabouts and bridge tie-in works will be underway winter 2024. This work is to form the diamond interchange at the western end of the project. This will become the new road alignment and allow for the Takitimu North Link expressway to be built underneath. Roundabouts will be built away from the road with support from our traffic management team as required.

Work continues at several other locations on site with remaining bridges under construction at Smiths Farm, Wairoa Awa (River), and Minden Gully. At SH2 Loop Road service relocations and installing environmental controls are in progress and a large culvert is being constructed.