{"id":577091,"date":"2026-08-22T17:54:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T17:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/577091\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T17:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T17:54:14","slug":"omokoroa-sh2-roundabout-opens-as-interim-step-towards-future-interchange","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/577091\/","title":{"rendered":"\u014cmokoroa SH2 roundabout opens as interim step towards future interchange"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the roundabout was expected to improve safety and traffic flow, it has been described as an interim solution<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It has been designed to address the intersection\u2019s immediate needs until a future interchange is built as part of Takitimu North Link Stage 2 \u2013 the planned extension of the new four-lane highway being built between Tauranga and Te Puna.<\/p>\n

Stage 1 is due to finish in 2028. Construction funding for Stage 2 has not been confirmed, but it received fast-track approval<\/a> in March, with design work and land designation underway. <\/p>\n

Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer said the \u014cmokoroa project was about more than a new roundabout.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is about enabling the growth and future success of \u014cmokoroa.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the community had called for investment after the previous SH2 intersection had become a safety and congestion concern<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\" The new roundabout at the intersection of State Highway 2 and \u014cmokoroa Rd. Photo \/ Western Bay of Plenty District Council<\/p>\n

\u201cThe junction with State Highway 2 was a real safety risk and witnessed multiple crashes over the years, some fatal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI certainly didn\u2019t enjoy turning right out of \u014cmokoroa to go home to Katikati.\u201d<\/p>\n

Denyer said the project would also support future housing and employment. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is about enabling the growth and future success of \u014cmokoroa, which is not only the pre-eminent growth area in our district but a whole new town for New Zealand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Western Bay of Plenty District Council says \u014cmokoroa is expected to be home to about 13,000 residents by 2050. Stats NZ put the population at 5800 last year.<\/p>\n

A council statement said the project was part of a wider programme of infrastructure investment in \u014cmokoroa. Stage 2 of \u014cmokoroa Rd urbanisation was expected to finish in October, while the Prole Rd urbanisation, W\u0101hi \u014d Waipapa Wetland and Tangimoana pedestrian bridge projects were complete.<\/p>\n

Coromandel MP Scott Simpson said at the ribbon-cutting event that \u014cmokoroa was growing quickly and needed major infrastructure investment. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is but part of a jigsaw puzzle that is ongoing growth investment in the Bay of Plenty and the Western Bay of Plenty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simpson said the upgrade would help future-proof the community but was not the end of the work needed in the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is part of an ongoing project that will need continued effort, support, both political, financial, and organisational.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CoromandelCoromandel MP Scott Simpson with Western Bay councillor Grant Dally and Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford at Friday\u2019s ribbon\u2011cutting for the SH2\/\u014cmokoroa upgrade. Photo \/ Zoe Blake<\/p>\n

Council chief executive Matt Potton said the project was the result of extensive planning and construction. <\/p>\n

\u201cBehind what we see today are actually years of planning, design, consents, utility relocations, funding applications, and, of course, the physical construction.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said Stage 2 of the \u014cmokoroa urbanisation project was underway and due to be completed in November.<\/p>\n

Potton also acknowledged the disruption caused during construction. <\/p>\n

\u201cDelivering infrastructure of this scale while maintaining access has been an ongoing challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

HEB national project senior representative Brian Fuller said the roundabout had been built by a strong local workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are people who know these roads, live in and understand the community, and they are real local people,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Fuller said crews had worked around live traffic, installing utilities, drainage, pavement, surfacing and lighting. <\/p>\n

He said the project had received positive feedback from road users.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany people are commenting on improved travel times, smooth movements through the intersection, and reduced delays.\u201d<\/p>\n

Higgins Bay of Plenty regional manager Dean Taylor said his company began work on Stage 1 in 2022. <\/p>\n

The project involved moving about 11,000 cubic metres of earth, installing about 500m of stormwater pipes and building more than 10,000sq m of finished pavements and footpaths.<\/p>\n

NZTA regional relationships director Andrew Corkill said the project would become increasingly important as \u014cmokoroa grew. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs this community grows, safe, reliable transport connections become even more important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Corkill said NZTA had supported the project through funding, land and planning for the future transport network.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s project is not just about the road layout we see in front of us now, but it\u2019s part of the longer-term transport vision for \u014cmokoroa and the wider corridor.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While the roundabout was expected to improve safety and traffic flow, it has been described as an interim…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":577092,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[806,3273,12315,26755,60020,51084,1132,3166,284159,111,43,139,69,59966,1864,2680,25529,47621,13672,21694,21419],"class_list":["post-577091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-as","tag-future","tag-gateway","tag-highway","tag-interchange","tag-interim","tag-million","tag-mokoroa","tag-mokoroas","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-officially","tag-opened","tag-opens","tag-roundabout","tag-sh2","tag-state","tag-step","tag-towards"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=577091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/577092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=577091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=577091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=577091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}