Green light for 15th Ave works to start

Change is coming to 15th Ave. Photo / File

Tauranga City Council has given the green light to start construction on the $1.6m first stage of work on 15th Ave as soon as possible.

The council paused the project last month but voted unanimously last night to unpause it after hearing assurances from transport modelling experts it would not make congestion worse.

Elected members heard there might be a modest time saving on average for evening commuters - less than a minute - but that the project would mainly make journey times less variable.

Principal transport planner Bruce Robinson said there would be little impact on journey times without releasing the Hairini Bridge bottleneck.

The stage will include adding traffic lights at the 15th Ave intersection with Burrows St, a new bus and T3 lane between Mayfair and Scantlebury streets and an exit from Grace Rd on to 15th Ave.

The Turret Rd slip road will be closed and a new shared walkway/cycleway linking to Mayfair St will be added, as well as an extra lane between Fraser and Mayfair streets.

Last month the council announced work would start on July 22 but retracted that days after elected members raised concerns about the impact of the work on congestion.

Councillor Rick Curach had doubts about the time-saving.

"Some will find the journey time longer and that will be the rat runners. They will have to line up with all the other cars."

The first stage of work was expected to be completed by early next year.

Stage one of plans for 15th Ave. Graphic / Tauranga City Council