The Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) is a four lane motorway in the
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...
region in New Zealand, covering 23 km from Te Maunga junction in
Tauranga
Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...
to
Paengaroa
Paengaroa is a village in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. It is from Maketu, from Te Puke, from Tauranga and from Rotorua.
Paengaroa is located on State Highway 33 approximately 2 km from the junction with State Highway 2, and at t ...
. It was officially opened on 30 July 2015. It replaced a section of , improving access to Tauranga from the east (
Te Puke
Te Puke ( ) is a town located southeast of Tauranga in the Western Bay of Plenty of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for the cultivation of kiwifruit.
Te Puke is close to Tauranga and Maketu, which are both coastal towns/cities, a ...
,
Whakatāne
Whakatāne ( , ) is a town located in the Bay of Plenty Region, Bay of Plenty Region in the North Island of New Zealand, east of Tauranga and northeast of Rotorua. The town is situated at the mouth of the Whakatāne River. The Whakatāne Dis ...
,
Ōpōtiki
Ōpōtiki (; from ''Ōpōtiki-Mai-Tawhiti'') is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Ōpōtiki District Council, the mayor of Ōpōtiki and comes under the Bay of Plenty Region ...
,
Gisborne) and south (
Rotorua
Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...
and
Taupō
Taupō (), sometimes written Taupo, is a town located in the central North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the edge of Lake Taupō, which is the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand. Taupō was constituted as a borough in 1953. It h ...
). 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.
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 (/).
* 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 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.
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
Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...
and follows the route of the existing 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 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 , north of Paengaroa.
Since official opening in August 2015, the Tauranga Eastern Link has been a tolled highway.
In December 2017 it became the first of three sections of highway in New Zealand to be given a speed limit of 110 km/h.
Exit list
References
External links
Tauranga Eastern Link - Official Project Website
{{New Zealand motorway list
Motorways in New Zealand
Tauranga
Transport in the Bay of Plenty Region