Tauranga Eastern Link

The Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) is a four lane motorway in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand, covering 23 km from Te Maunga junction in Tauranga to Paengaroa. It was officially opened on 30 July 2015. It replaced a section of State Highway 2, improving access to Tauranga from the east (Te Puke, Whakatane, Opotiki, Gisborne) and south (Rotorua and Taupō). It became the main route for trucks heading to the Port of Tauranga from Rotorua and the eastern Bay of Plenty, and connected the Central Plateau forestry industry with the port to facilitate lumber export.

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Tauranga Eastern Link
State Highway 2
Route information
Maintained by NZ Transport Agency
Length23 km (14 mi)
Major junctions
FromTe Maunga
ToPaengaroa
Location
CountryNew Zealand
Major citiesTauranga
TownsMount Maunganui, Papamoa
Highway system

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/SH 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 150-metre-long (490 ft) 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, intersecting SH 33, north of Paengaroa.

Since official opening in August 2015, the Tauranga Eastern Link has been a tolled highway.[3]

In December 2017 it became one of the first two sections of highway in New Zealand to be given a speed limit of 110 km/h.[4]

Exit list
Territorial authority Location Exit Destination Notes
Tauranga Te Maunga SH 2 north (Maunganui Road) – Tauranga, Mount Maunganui
SH 29A		 Tauranga Eastern Link begins
Mangatawa Sandhurst Drive – Papamoa
Mangatawa Lane
Papamoa Domain Road / Tara Road – Papamoa, Papamoa East
Te Puke Highway – Te Puke
Western Bay of Plenty Rangiuru
Automated toll point
Paengaroa SH 2 south – Whakatane
SH 33 – Rotorua
Te Puke Highway – Te Puke		 Tauranga Eastern Link ends

References
  1. "New Zealand Transport Authority - Construction begins on Tauranga Eastern Link". 19 November 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  2. "New Zealand Transport Agency - What's left to do?".
  3. "Tolls and fees". NZTA. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  4. Phillipa Yalden (11 December 2017). "Waikato, Tauranga expressway speed limits rise to 110kmh". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
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