Tauranga Eastern Link

Tauranga Eastern Link
State Highway 2
Route information
Maintained by New Zealand Transport Agency
Length:	23 km (14 mi)
Major junctions
From:	Te Maunga
To:	Paengaroa
Location
Major cities:	Tauranga
Towns:	Mount Maunganui, Papamoa
Highway system
New Zealand state highways Motorways and expressways List Unused

The Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) is a four lane motorway in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand that was officially opened on 30 July 2015 to replace a section of State Highway 2. It covers 23 km from Te Maunga junction to Paengaroa, and will improve access from the east (Te Puke, Whakatane, Opotiki, Gisborne) and south from Rotorua and Taupo. It will become the main route for trucks heading to the Port of Tauranga from Rotorua and the eastern Bay of Plenty, and connect the central plateau forestry industry with the port to facilitate lumber export.

Design

The Tauranga Eastern Link is a four lane, dual carriageway, providing a safer and more direct route between Tauranga to Paengaroa.

Central median barrier.
New intersections for Sandhurst Drive, Domain Road and Paengaroa junction (SH 2/33).
New overbridge for Parton and underpass for Maketu Roads.
Urban design incorporating extensive landscaping.
Electronic free-flow tolling system.

Objectives

Support the managed growth for the area;
Improve efficiency and contribute to economic development through improved travel time;
Provide a more direct route to the Port of Tauranga;
Provide a safer route between Tauranga and Paengaroa.

Construction of the Tauranga Eastern Link officially started on 19 November 2010^[1] and was due for completion in 2016, however construction ran six months ahead of schedule and the project was officially opened in late July 2015.^[2]

Tolling received significant community support (92% both conditional and unconditional) and as a result the NZTA submitted a tolling proposal to the Cabinet who approved it.

Route

The Tauranga Eastern Link begins at the Te Maunga Roundabout in Tauranga and follows the route of the existing SH 2 to Domain Road, with junctions at Sandhurst Road /Mangatawa Road and Domain Road/Tara Road. The route then runs across rural land, parallel to Tara Road, before crossing Parton Road and running along the sandhills to the Kaituna River. At this point the highway crosses the river on a 150m long bridge and runs past the Kaituna Wildlife Management Reserve. It then heads south east across dairy farms and orchards before crossing the railway line and terminating at a roundabout north of Paengaroa.

Toll

Since official opening on 3 August 2015 tolls for a single one-way trip are:^[3]

Vehicle	Toll
Cars, motorcycles, light commercial vehicles (≤3.5 tonne)	$2.00
Heavy commercial vehicles (>3.5 tonne)	$5.00
Caravans/trailers	No extra charge

Exit list

Territorial authority	Location	Exit	Destination
Tauranga	Te Maunga		SH 2 / SH 29A Tauranga, Mount Maunganui
	Mangatawa		Sandhurst Drive / Mangatawa Lane Arataki, Papamoa
	Papamoa		Domain Road / Tara Road Papamoa, Papamoa East
Western Bay of Plenty	Rangiuru	Automated toll point
Western Bay of Plenty	Paengaroa		SH 2 / SH 33 Te Puke, Whakatane, Rotorua

List of motorways and expressways in New Zealand

Auckland	Northern Motorway Northwestern Motorway Southern Motorway Southwestern Motorway Upper Harbour Motorway

Wellington	Johnsonville–Porirua Motorway Wellington Urban Motorway Hutt Expressway

Rest of North Island	Waikato Expressway Takitimu Drive Tauranga Eastern Link Hawke's Bay Expressway

South Island	Christchurch Northern Motorway Christchurch Southern Motorway Christchurch-Lyttelton Motorway Dunedin Southern Motorway

Past motorways/expressways	New Plymouth Southern Motorway Wanganui Metropolitan Motorway Dunedin Northern Motorway

Future motorways/expressways	Puhoi to Wellsford Motorway Penlink Second Harbour Crossing Waterview Connection Transmission Gully Motorway Kapiti Expressway Western Belfast Bypass

Major infrastructure	Upper Harbour Bridge Northern Busway, Auckland Auckland Harbour Bridge Victoria Park Tunnel and Viaduct Central Motorway Junction Newmarket Viaduct Mangere Bridge Tauranga Harbour Bridge Ngauranga Interchange Terrace Motorway Tunnel Lyttelton Road Tunnel

References

↑ "New Zealand Transport Authority - Construction begins on Tauranga Eastern Link".
↑ "New Zealand Transport Agency - What's left to do?".
↑ "Tolls and fees". NZTA. Retrieved 2016-01-26.

External links

Tauranga Eastern Link - Official Project Website

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 7/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.