A trio of Bay of Plenty MPs have agreed to sit down and discuss the issue on speed limits on State Highway 2 around Te Puke as a strong public submission period draws to a close.

Public consultation on the variety of speed limit changes and new names proposed for State Highway 2 between Domain Road and Paengaroa closed yesterday – ahead of the highway reverting to a local road when the Tauranga Eastern Link opens later this year.

Public consultations on a speed change proposal for Te Puke has closed.

During the last month, both Western Bay of Plenty District Council and local MP's have been inundated with either agreement or dissatisfaction for the proposal.

Latest figures released to SunLive by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council show 355 submissions have been received regarding speed limit changes, along with 160 on the two road name changes.

In wake of the strong feedback Te Puke and Rotorua MP Todd McClay is promising to raise the issue with Transport Minister and Tauranga MP Simon Bridges.

Todd says a number of Te Puke residents question the need to reduce the speed limit, and there seems to be a strong voice for keeping the status quo.

With the $455 million Tauranga Eastern Link road due to open late this year, the issue of speed limits on the existing stretch of road between the Paengaroa Roundabout and Domain Road is of increasing importance.

Todd says the new road would help drive economic development in the Bay of Plenty, allowing businesses to become more productive and more competitive through reduced journey times.

However, it is important that speed limits on the existing road would need to be set to balance safety with convenience and economic activity of local people and businesses.

'It will be important to have a consistent speed limit along the piece of road, as is the current situation, rather than having different and changing limits, avoiding confusion and unnecessary delays for local people,” adds Todd.

Tauranga MP and Transport Minister Simon Bridges confirms Todd has made representation to him on behalf of Te Puke residents regarding the speed limits once the state highway reverts to a local road.

'He thinks lowering the speed limit on that stretch of road will be the wrong thing to do,” says Simon.

Ahead of public submissions and consultation closing, Simon told SunLive the New Zealand Transport Agency will brief Simon and Todd, along with Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller, in the coming weeks on where the project currently sits.

Giving the trio a chance to feed into the process.

'There are a lot of strong views out there and it should not go down,” says Simon.

'My understanding is NZTA takes a different view and I'm sure we will get a chance to have our say on it.

Both Todd and Simon agree it is important that speed limits were set with full and open public consultation.

Along with the speed limits two new stretches of road need to be renamed – from Domain Road to Te Puke Quarry Road (Western end) and from No 1 Road to the intersection with SH33 at Paengaroa (Eastern end).

Jellicoe Street, from Te Puke Quarry Road through Te Puke to No 1 Road, will not be changed.