SH29/Tauriko Village upgrades

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If you live near or travel along Cambridge Road, some temporary disruptions are on the way during the school holidays later this month, as part of preparing the intersection to be upgraded with traffic lights over the coming year. As part of this work, we’ve moved the power lines underground and we’re now ready to switch them on and remove the old lines and poles.

Power outage and right-turn bay closure – Monday 22 September, 9am to 4pm

To switch on new underground power cables, a power outage is planned for both Cambridge Road and SH29. Affected customers will be notified by their power providers. During this time, temporary traffic management will include:

Cambridge Road - stop/go and a 30km/h speed limit.
Cambridge Road to SH29 - closure of the right-turn bay. Hamilton-bound traffic must turn left onto SH29, then use the SH29/SH36 roundabout to change direction.
SH29 - a lane shift and shoulder closure (westbound towards Hamilton).
60km/h speed limit on all approaches to the work site.
All eastbound traffic (towards Tauranga/Bethlehem via Cambridge Road) will be maintained.

Cambridge Road lane closure – Sunday 28 September, 9am to 4pm

A closure of a section of the northbound lane (heading to Bethlehem) on Cambridge Road is also needed to safely remove the old power poles and lines on Cambridge Road and SH29. No power outage is required.

The lane closure includes a short section of road from the intersection with SH29 to 559 Cambridge Road. People should be prepared for moderate disruption. During this time, temporary traffic management will include:

SH29/Cambridge Road intersection to Bethlehem Town Centre - detour routes for Bethlehem-bound traffic are expected to take approximately 15 minutes via SH29 Takitimu Drive Toll Road (toll applies), and approximately 22 minutes via SH29A and Cameron Road (free route).
Cambridge Road residents - access from SH29 will be via the detours. We acknowledge the inconvenience and are committed to completing this work as quickly as possible.
The southbound lane on Cambridge Road heading towards SH29 will remain open.
Shoulder closures and mobile operations on SH29, with SH29 traffic maintained in both directions.

More information: Temporary changes coming to Cambridge Road/SH29 intersection

New intersection in Tauriko Village

A new intersection in Tauriko Village, near where the former service station was, opened with a temporary layout on Monday 5 May 2025, providing access to a safer, new carpark for Tauriko School and Playcentre.
The new intersection not only provides access to the carpark but in the future will link to the planned community in Tauriko West, being developed to help accommodate Tauranga’s growing population.
Though currently operating as a give way intersection without lights while the team works on the surrounding infrastructure, the intersection will eventually feature additional lanes and be signalised with traffic lights.
Tauriko Village temporary intersection map [PDF, 188 KB]

New road layout in Tauriko Village

As part of the upgrades in the area, we are widening SH29 to make way for new lanes and a shared path. This work got underway in early May 2025 and includes constructing a permanent noise wall outside the school, retaining walls, wetland areas to treat stormwater runoff, a new shared footpath and cycleway, and underground service upgrades.

The following road layout will be in place for approximately 1 year:

Both north and southbound traffic on SH29 will be shifted to the southern side of SH29 for the duration of these works.
Traffic lanes will be maintained in both directions, along with the flush median in the centre of the road.
Access to businesses and residential properties will be maintained throughout these works. However, there will be a reduction in the width of the shoulder along the southern side of the road, meaning reduced space available for entering and exiting driveways and heading south on SH29.
This new road layout will enable us to undertake work on the northern (Tauriko School) side of SH29.
Once the northern side of the highway has been widened, the team will move to work on the southern (Boerewors and Gull) side of SH29. Traffic will be shifted onto the newly built lanes of SH29 on the northern side. We will be in touch with more details about this closer to the time.
A temporary speed limit of 60km/h will remain in place throughout Tauriko Village while work is underway.

At project completion, SH29 will be four-laned through Tauriko Village, making the road wider and safer for road users and the communities that live and work there.

Overview

Construction is underway to build two signalised intersections at SH29/Tauriko Village and SH29/Cambridge Road.

The new intersection with traffic lights on SH29 at Tauriko Village will provide access to the northern part of Tauriko West. The upgrade of the existing SH29/Cambridge Road intersection with traffic lights will improve safety and provide a connection to Whiore Avenue for buses, people walking and cycling only. These are 2 of 4 key intersection upgrades as part of the Tauriko Enabling Works project.

Construction started in September 2024 and is scheduled for completion in early 2027.

The upgrades in the Tauriko Village area include:

a new intersection with traffic lights on SH29 at Tauriko Village to provide access to the northern part of Tauriko West
widening of SH29 between the new intersection at Tauriko Village and Cambridge Road, including provision of a new shared walking and cycling path along the northern side of SH29
an upgrade of the existing SH29/Cambridge Road intersection with traffic lights and a new connection to Whiore Avenue for buses, people walking and cycling only
a new footpath along the southern side of Whiore Avenue and provision for future bus stops. The new bus stops and an on-road, two-way, protected cycle lane between the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection and Taurikura Drive would be installed once the first homes in the new Tauriko West community have been developed and demand increases.