The speed limit has been lifted to 100km/h at the new State Highway 1 and 29 intersection in Waikato — marking a milestone in the 17-month construction project.
Waka Kotahi NZTA has announced that drivers travelling between the Bay of Plenty and Waikato can now use the full speed limit on approach roads to the new roundabout at Piarere.
NZTA’s acting Waikato/Bay of Plenty infrastructure delivery regional manager, Darryl Coalter, said completion was just around the corner.
“Lifting the temporary speed limit is a major milestone. We’ve come over the hill, and the finish line for this project is now in sight,” he said in a statement.
Construction got underway in January 2024, and Coalter said work is on track to be completed next month.
With the speed limit change, the agency said people travelling between the regions will be able to get where they’re going sooner.
It stressed drivers must still slow down when entering the roundabout.
“As is the case with all roundabouts, drivers are expected to slow down as they approach a roundabout, and be prepared to give way,” an NZTA spokesperson said.
Construction began in January 2024 on the 60-metre roundabout, which is designed to improve efficiency and safety on the heavily used route.
Coalter said: “Our project team and contractors understand just how important this new roundabout is for people who use the road on a daily basis and have been dedicated to completing it as efficiently as possible.”
Final road surfacing works are also anticipated in July, likely to be carried out at night, with details to be confirmed closer to the time, according to NZTA.
“These works would require a temporary reduced speed limit, before the limit will be reinstated to 100km/h again.”
The roundabout has been built to accommodate the future Cambridge to Piarere Expressway, and is designed to improve efficiency, connectivity, and safety on a “very important high-volume route,” a spokesperson for NZTA said.
