A computer-generated movie showing traffic flow through Bethlehem before and after the planned four laning did a lot to convince doubters who attended an open day on the project at Bethlehem on Tuesday.
'We had it running constantly on a couple of screens,” says New Zealand Transport Agency Tauranga manager Rod James.

An NZTA sketch of how Bethlehem will look.

'Quite a few came in thinking it was one thing, and after seeing the details changed their view,” says Rod.
'We had some people come in that were certainly negative and went out positive and said so.”
The public open days on the project have been attended by 454 people over two meetings at Te Puna and Bethlehem.
An exit poll finds that 82 per cent of the people who attended the Te Puna open day are positive about the intention to four-lane State Highway 2 between the two Bethlehem roundabouts. Of the people attending the Bethlehem open day, 74 per cent feel positively about the project.
The second roundabout on the western side of the village is yet to be built.
NZTA staff were on hand to explain and answer questions about a project that has a vocal opposition among Bethlehem Village retailers who believe their businesses will be adversely affected by the changes that are planned.
People who are delayed now by the morning and evening peak hour tail backs just want them to get on with it, one staffer said.