Motorists travelling through Tauriko will face overnight traffic management next week as a major traffic switch on State Highway 29 takes place.

Night works, which are part of the wider Tauriko upgrade project, will take place from 6pm to 6am over three nights, from Sunday, August 9 to Tuesday, August 11, to move Hamilton-bound traffic on to newly constructed lanes between the SH29/SH36 roundabout and the SH29/Cambridge Rd intersection.

In a media release, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said Tauranga-bound traffic will remain on the existing highway while construction begins on new pavement through the centre of the corridor.

Waikato and Bay of Plenty regional infrastructure delivery manager Adrian Jones said the traffic switch marked an important milestone for the SH29 Tauriko Enabling Works project.

“The team has worked hard to prepare the new Hamilton-bound lanes and this switch brings us closer to the completed layout,” Jones said.

Once finished in mid-2027, that section of SH29 will feature two lanes in each direction, with a dedicated right-turn bay into Cambridge Road, he said.

Road users can expect a three-way stop/go operation at the Cambridge Rd intersection and a temporary 30km/h speed limit through the work area while crews install temporary barriers and complete line marking.

From 6am on Monday, August 10, traffic will be shifted into its new alignment using barriers and cones.

Additional barriers will remain in place for about six weeks, although all traffic movements through the Cambridge Rd intersection will continue to be maintained during the works.

As part of the programme, contractors will also remove part of a traffic island near the SH29/SH36 roundabout to support upcoming drainage works, requiring a lane deviation and a reduced speed limit.

Elsewhere on the project, work is continuing on a new bus link, footpaths and water-main upgrades on Whiore Ave, with stormwater improvements between Cambridge Rd and the SH29/SH36 roundabout.

The full project, being delivered in partnership with Tauranga City Council, is expected to be completed by mid-2027.

NZTA said some activities are weather-dependent and may be postponed if conditions are unsuitable.