Te Puke Highway upgrades

Western Bay of Plenty District Council has installed the roundabouts at the intersections where both Te Puke Quarry Rd and No.3 Rd join with Te Puke Highway.

The two new roundabouts have been built as part of the Te Puke Highway upgrade which will improve safety along the busy arterial road.

These roundabouts are part of the larger programme of upgrades we've been working on to improve safety, says Council Development Engineering Manager Raj Sumeran.

The roundabouts will mean a general calming of traffic speed around these intersections, as well as reducing the need for people to cross a lane and merge with traffic which can be dangerous at busy times.

The layout is still new for most people so electronic signage is highlighting the changes and the speed limit has been temporarily reduced.

While the roundabouts are functioning now, over the next week or so painted line markings, installing the hump' aspect of the roundabouts, and sealing the new intersections will be completed.

Motorists will also find the new roundabouts stand out thanks to their red colour with white reflective strips.

Finishing these roundabouts is a significant step to making Te Puke Highway a much safer road, says Raj.

Improvements still planned for the area include: additional resealing; barrier protection; a slow vehicle passing lane; and the NZTA Welcome Bay roundabout project.