People will have the chance to find out more about the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway — one of the largest road projects undertaken in the region — and changes to local roads at an open day this month.
The 21-kilometre project is one of seven sections that make up the Waikato Expressway, a road of national significance to government. Once complete, the expressway will be the key transport corridor for the region, connecting Auckland to the agricultural and business centres of Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
The NZ Transport Agency is holding the open day at Rototuna Junior High School on Monday August 22 from 4pm to 7pm. The project team will be on hand to answer questions about the proposed construction programme, which begins in October.
The programme includes the temporary closing of Kay Rd to through traffic for a period of 13 months during construction, but all properties on the road will remain accessible.
The agency’s acting Waikato/Bay of Plenty highway manager Niclas Johansson says the project team will start work on bridges at Kay Rd, Gordonton Rd and Ruakura Rd before Christmas.
“Sealed traffic diversions will be built around the work sites at Gordonton Rd and Ruakura Rd to minimise disruption to local traffic,” he says. He adds thought that it won’t be possible to build a diversion at Kay Rd because the terrain is too steep so the intent is to close the road at the bridge site.
Johansson emphasises the project team want to get feedback about the plan and other areas of the project from as many people as possible.
The project, built on behalf of the government by an alliance made up of Fletcher, Beca, Higgins Coffey and Hick Bros in conjunction with the Transport Agency, is expected to be complete by 2020.
