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Hewletts Rd Opens Up as Stage 1 Finished

05 October 2007

The road cones are all but gone and the new bus lanes are up and running, marking the completion of Stage 1 of Transit New Zealand's Harbour Link project – the four-laning of Hewletts Rd.

The year-long first stage of the four year Harbour Link project has been completed about $3 million under budget and very close to the predicted time, despite wet weather delays and difficult, unpredictable work required to shift vital underground utilities and pipes carrying chemicals, oil, fuel and bitumen from the port.

Motorists can now drive on the new, smooth surfaced lanes using signalised intersections instead of roundabouts, while buses, motorcycles and cyclists can travel in their own bus lane. The new signals on Waimarie St, Totara St and Tasman Quay intersections are now co-ordinated and phased to ensure a smoother run for motorists.

On the airport side of Hewletts Rd, the road has been lowered to provide access to businesses between Jean Batten Drive and the railway line next to the Gull service station. Motorists will also find accessing businesses along Hewletts Rd easier, as drivers can move out of traffic into the quieter bus lanes to turn left, and make u-turns at intersections to access businesses on the opposite side of the road. U-turns are permitted at all intersections along Hewletts Rd.

Transit Project Manager Kevin Reid thanked motorists for their patience during the construction of Stage 1. Work had been planned throughout the project to ensure the least disruption to traffic flows. Motorists were already finding their travel times between Mount Maunganui and Tauranga city were quicker and traffic was much less congested, he said.

"I would like to congratulate the teams at Fulton Hogan and Beca for producing a high quality job in some difficult and constrained circumstances. It has been a challenge to construct this road and to keep the traffic moving at the same time, but as a result of the high standard of co-operation between the teams we achieved our goals and kept the effects on the public to a minimum."

Fletcher Construction began work in July on Stage 2 at a cost of $130.8 million. Stage 2 includes four-laning the rest of the Harbour Bridge causeway, building a duplicate Harbour Bridge alongside the existing bridge and a four-lane flyover from the Harbour Bridge to Takitimu Drive bypassing the Chapel Street/Marsh Street area.

Stage 2 is expected to be complete by early 2010.

NEWS MEDIA: For further information, contact:

Kevin Reid

Transit's Harbour Link Project Manager

Ph 07 927 6008 or 021 2856512

www.smarttransport.org.nz

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