Motorists travelling through the eastern Bay of Plenty are being urged to plan for night closures beginning this weekend on State Highway 2 through the Waioweka Gorge.

The closures, starting on Sunday, are part of ongoing work to stabilise the Goldsmith slip, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said in its latest media update.

The highway will be closed for 10 nights from 9pm to 5am, Sunday through Thursday, with no closures on Friday or Saturday nights. A one-hour window between 1am and 2am will allow freight traffic through the site.

Night closures, alongside daytime stop/go traffic management, will allow a large crane to carry out drilling and install a rockfall barrier aimed at improving safety through the gorge.

From early July, crews will begin installing a steel net at the slip site during the day, with existing stop/go controls remaining in place, while other recovery work continues throughout the gorge.

NZTA said work schedules might change because of weather, and motorists should check travel conditions before heading out.

Further west, road users in Tauranga and the wider Western Bay continue to face a range of ongoing projects and disruptions across the network.

On SH29 near Ōmanawa Bridge, night works linked to the bridge replacement project are continuing until the end of June, with stop/go traffic management, lane shifts and a reduced speed limit in place between 8pm and 4.30am, Sunday to Thursday.

In Tauriko, temporary traffic management remains in place along SH29, including lane deviations, shoulder closures and a reduced 50km/h speed limit as watermain upgrades continue, with additional overhead line work scheduled.

Drivers are also being warned of ongoing impacts tied to the Takitimu North Link project.

A reduced speed limit remains on the SH29 Takitimu Drive Toll Road, while works continue on a flyover bridge and slip lane, and the SH29 exit to Fifteenth Avenue remains closed as final construction stages continue through to late July.

At SH2/15th Ave, lane closures remain in place as crews build approaches and install drainage for the new connection, which is expected to remain under traffic management until late 2026.

Elsewhere in the western Bay, Poripori Rd remains closed for slip repairs until early July, with detours in place, while widening work at the SH2 Pahoia/Esdaile intersection and ongoing activity near Ōmokoroa may also cause delays for motorists.