Key to unlocking Tauranga congestion underway   1 Sep 2015

Hon Simon Bridges
Minister of Transport
1 September 2015
Key to unlocking Tauranga congestion underway

Transport Minister Simon Bridges has turned the first sod on the $45 million Maungatapu underpass project in Tauranga today, bringing the $100 million Hairini Link one step closer to completion.

The underpass will be built on State highway 29A (SH29A) underneath the existing Maungatapu roundabout and will connect to Welcome Bay Road.
“The project will separate state highway and local traffic, easing congestion and improving safety as Tauranga continues to grow now and into the future.

“The underpass will also make it safer and easier to walk and bike around this area, with new paths and a cycling and walking bridge over SH29A to be built,” Mr Bridges says.

The underpass, which will take three years to complete, is the fourth stage of the Hairini Link project.

“We know that transport is an enabler of economic activity so we need to continue unlocking key congestion points to get people and freight moving swiftly around the city.”

The NZ Transport Agency’s long term plan is to create a ring road around the city.

“The ring road will be made up by the completion of this underpass – as well as the rest of the Hairini Link project – along with the $455 million Tauranga Eastern Link, the $68 million Route K and the upcoming $102 million Baypark to Bayfair project.

“Together they will help reduce congestion and support growth by moving traffic, people and products around the city to drive social and economic growth,” he says.

For more information on the project click here

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