Tauranga traffic: Road closure at Bayfair roundabout to rebuild local road

A small section of Maunganui Rd between the Bayfair roundabout and Exeter St is temporarily closing for reconstruction of the ground level road as part of the Bay Link project.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the section of road would be closed from early morning on June 7 until early spring with a detour for people travelling locally in place.

In a statement, the agency says the road will then reopen to one lane until late spring to enable completion of footpaths, driveways and other elements.

The new Bayfair flyover would not be affected by the closure.

Waka Kotahi regional manager infrastructure delivery Jo Wilton said closing the road was the next step in a carefully sequenced programme.

“We’ve seen that people have embraced the new flyover and new travel patterns have settled in. This means, especially at peak time, traffic on local roads has been reduced with people using the flyover for their travels, allowing us to close a section of the ground-level road.

“We only close roads for an extended period if there is an acceptable alternative route in place for the expected number of vehicles, and a significant benefit expected for the community and the project.

“Closing the ground-level road allows work to progress more efficiently than it would with a single-lane closure,” Wilton said.

“To futureproof the area, all existing roads within the extent of the Bay Link site are being replaced to support heavier, and a higher number of, vehicles.”

Wilton said the final phase of road reconstruction at the Bayfair roundabout was already underway and involved reconstructing all ground-level roads leading into and away from the Bayfair roundabout.

“This work is being completed in stages, with each requiring traffic layouts that will temporarily change the way people navigate the area.

“At the same time, work continues to upgrade the new signalised Bayfair roundabout which will improve safety and accessibility and transform how people on all modes move through the area at project completion.”

What this closure means for people travelling locally

People travelling locally towards SH2/29A Te Maunga interchange will not be able to exit the Bayfair roundabout onto Maunganui Rd, southbound. A detour will be available via Girven Rd, Maranui St and Sandhurst Drive.

This detour will apply for all light vehicles travelling towards SH2/TEL or SH29A from Bayfair Shopping Centre’s Maunganui Rd and Girven Rd exits, Matapihi Rd (including HomeZone) or Girven Rd (including Baywave).

The present temporary speed limit of 30km/h remains in place around the Bayfair roundabout.

What this means for people travelling on SH2

Road users travelling from Mount Maunganui, the city centre or the port will continue using the new Bayfair flyover to access SH2/SH29A Te Maunga interchange for SH29A/ Maungatapu/Welcome Bay or TEL/Pāpāmoa.

Adjustments to the lanes approaching Te Maunga interchange have been made to improve traffic flow. Both lanes at the top of the interchange now proceed straight onto TEL, while the right lane also provides for a right turn towards SH29A.

Road users are reminded that the existing detour route via Mangatawa Link Rd and Truman Lane will continue to apply for those wishing to connect with SH29A from Sandhurst interchange. This detour is in place while the final off-ramp from TEL is under construction.

This is expected to open to the public in mid-winter.

What this means for heavy vehicles over 12m long

The detour route via Girven Rd, Maranui St and Sandhurst Drive is not for use by vehicles over 12m. Vehicles of this length will need to detour via Maunganui Rd north, a full turn around the Golf Rd roundabout before travelling back along SH2 over the Bayfair flyover towards the SH2/SH29A Te Maunga interchange.

The flyover has a temporary speed limit of 50km/h.

This closure is expected to be in place until early spring, assuming favourable weather and ground conditions. We encourage all road users to allow extra time, share the roads with care and patience, and follow directions.

Road reconstruction on the northbound side of Maunganui Rd is already underway with a single lane available in Maunganui Rd northbound from opposite Exeter St, through the Bayfair roundabout to opposite Concord Ave, in Maunganui Rd southbound from Concord Avenue to Bayfair roundabout and around the Bayfair roundabout. Temporarily reducing the road to a single lane allows this reconstruction to be completed safely alongside live traffic, and as efficiently and quickly as possible.

No change for people walking and cycling

People walking, cycling or using a scooter, mobility scooter or wheelchair to travel between Bayfair Shopping Centre and Baypark will continue using the signposted route via Eversham Rd, Exeter St and SH2/SH29A Te Maunga interchange. There is no footpath available in Maunganui Rd between the Bayfair roundabout and Exeter St.