Bypass enters home straight

Construction of Tauranga's $51 million Pyes Pa bypass has entered the home straight, with limited works beginning next month on the final phase of the project.
Foundation earthworks costing $22 million finished last April, allowing construction of the actual road to begin on areas where settlement had already taken place.
 The majority of works will kick-off with the new construction season starting in September. The 4.2km road from the Pyes Pa Crematorium to the Route K roundabout is due to open in July next year.
The first 400m of the bypass was constructed in 2006 by Grasshopper Holdings under an agreement reached as part of The Lakes subdivision.
Grasshopper was contracted to build the foundations, using all the material shifted by The Lakes subdivision's earthmovers.
New Zealand Transport Agency's Bay of Plenty state highways manager Rod James said the $8.4 million contract to build the road was  won by HEB Construction.
The bypass will provide a more efficient access to and from downtown Tauranga via Route K, removing traffic from the residential end of Pyes Pa Rd.