With four years of construction work already completed, Stage 1 of the Takitimu North Link (TNL) project now sees all major structures, earthworks, and environmental works well advanced.

The project focus now shifts to pavement construction along with associated drainage and stormwater treatments ahead of a scheduled 2028 opening.

NZTA reports that an estimated 2.5 million cubic metres of earth (of the 3 million m³ total planned) has already been moved.

There is also 8.84km of piling complete (100%), 18 of 19 major culverts are complete, 203 bridge beams have been installed, and 90% of utility work is complete. There are 212,000 plants in the ground so far (of more than 900,000 planned).

“Every milestone represents thousands of hours of dedicated work from people right across the region. The scale of this project is immense, and we’re proud to be delivering it safely, efficiently, and with a strong focus on environmental stewardship,” says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Infrastructure Delivery Manager for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Adrian Jones.

The nearly completed 363-metre flyover – nicknamed by commuters as the “bridge to nowhere” – is a major structure.

Still under construction and not yet connected to the new road, it spans the Kopurererua Valley Reserve and will provide a bypass to the new roundabout when travelling from Tauriko to the Port. Construction vehicles are expected to start using the bridge from March, with commuter traffic following from mid-2026, when it will become the “bridge to somewhere”.

At the Fifteenth Ave Connection site the 120-metre soil nailed retaining wall is nearly complete and all 12 bridge beams have been installed. A four month ramp closure from SH29 onto SH2 until April 2026 is allowing for lane works and signage gantry construction.

Work at the Smith’s Farm bridge structure is nearing completion, with installation of the barriers, and design panels now underway. The Cambridge Road, Wairoa Road, and Minden Road overbridges are now complete, allowing temporary speed limits to be lifted. Along with the completed Minden Gully offramp, four of the project’s ten bridges are now finished.

At the new Wairoa River Bridge all 80 beams are in place on the 355-metre bridge, with curing and barrier installation now progressing.

The Minden Road overbridge is complete and the offramp bridge is currently serving as a haul road for construction vehicles, while barriers are being installed on the remaining structures.

A total of 3 million cubic metres of material will be moved by the time earthworks conclude in autumn 2026. Pavement works have begun and will continue through to the road’s opening in 2028.

The pavement construction comprises multiple engineered layers that form the finished road surface.

The TNL Stage 1 project is a Road of National Significance supporting economic growth and productivity in the western Bay of Plenty with an expressway connection between Tauranga and Te Puna.

The designation process for TNL Stage 2 from Te Puna to Omokoroa is currently underway.