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The Weekend Sun
Hairini link project progresses NZTA has taken the next step towards completing the new Hairini Link/Welcome Bay underpass by lodging a Notice of Requirement with Tauranga City Council to designate the land required for construction. By Ben Guild
When completed, the underpass will improve safety, reduce journey times and make the movement of freight
more efficient along SH29. The notice, relating to required land on the council’s district plan, is required to be lodged before progress on the design and construction can be finalised. NZTA Bay of Plenty state highways manager Brett Gliddon says the project will involve construction of an underpass at the Maungatapu roundabout linking SH29 with Welcome Bay Rd. It will include the construction of a new bridge and intersection constructed over the Kaitemako Stream
New Hammon
d St intersectio
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n to Welcome
Bay.
New Welcome Bay Rd intersection towards new underpass. View from Hairini causeway to Maungatapu underpass.
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area, while a considerable amount of earthworks will be involved to build the underpass structure at the Maungatapu roundabout. The Hairini Link project construction phase is expected to take about three years to complete. Brett says NZTA has been working closely with the council in preparation to lodge the notice and the agency will continue to do so through the designation and consenting process. The NZTA application involved an investigation into a preferred option from improving congestion at the Hairini and Maungatapu roundabouts. A range of options was explored and in September last year the Transport Minister announced the preferred option was to construct an underpass.
“The underpass was deemed the best performing of all the options explored as it separates local traffic from state highway traffic, therefore reducing journey time, improving safety for road users as part of the our Safer Journeys strategy, and making the movement of freight along SH29 more efficient,” says Brett. Once TCC has designated the land for the Hairini Link project, Brett says the agency will finalise its design of the new road and put the work out to tender. At this stage NZTA plans to commence construction in early 2015, with the cost for constructing the underpass currently estimated to be approximately $55 million.
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