Roundabout to open at the State Highway 2 Ōmokoroa Road intersection

From Friday 7 March there will be a roundabout in place at the intersection of State Highway 2 and Ōmokoroa Road.

Overnight on Thursday, 6 March, a temporary roundabout will be marked out, which will remain in place until Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s State Highway 2 Ōmokoroa Road intersection upgrade has been completed.

The temporary roundabout will be a smaller and simpler version of the final road layout, but will give drivers an experience of what’s to come, and improve safety in the meantime.

Work will then continue on the lanes north of the new roundabout. This phase of the project is expected to have the most significant impact on traffic.

Over the coming weeks, while driving through the site, motorists can expect to see some intermittent off-peak Stop/Go controls, and the traffic will be under contraflow.

Contraflow in this instance means that as construction progresses, there will be times when traffic may flow on one lane one day and possibly another lane a week later.

"Our teams will have clear signage and reduced speed limits in place, making it easy for everyone to travel through the site. Please be kind to our crew on the ground. They are doing their absolute best to get this important work done," says Council Infrastructure Growth and Delivery Manager, Annelie Badenhorst.

“Overall, great progress is being made on the intersection upgrade. The opening of the temporary roundabout is an exciting milestone, especially for those who travel in and out of Ōmokoroa.

“People will really be able to see things take shape over the next 18 months as the new road layout becomes a reality for the community, improving both safety and capacity at the intersection.”

The State Highway 2 Ōmokoroa Road intersection upgrade is a minimum 10-year interim solution to address the immediate needs of the intersection, until funding becomes available to build a full interchange.

Once completed, it will include:

• a new interim roundabout at the State Highway 2 Ōmokoroa Road intersection with four-lane tapers and highway improvements
• four-laning on Ōmokoroa Road from SH2 to Prole Road
• a new roundabout, servicing the industrial area, at the future Francis Road intersection.
• The closure and relocation of driveways opposite the state highway intersection onto Youngson Road.

Work is anticipated to be completed by mid-2026.

For more information on the State Highway 2 Ōmokoroa Road intersection upgrade visit: State Highway 2 Ōmokoroa Road intersection upgrade | Your Place Western Bay of Plenty