New road names and lower speed limits for the stretch of State Highway 2 at Te Puke are up for public consultation.
The proposals precede the opening of the Tauranga Eastern Link later this year, which will see the Te Puke Corridor, from the railway bridge near Domain Road to the new roundabout at the State Highway 33 intersection at Paengaroa, lose its state highway status.
It will instead become a local road mainly for traffic travelling to and from Te Puke, owned and operated by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
As part of this handover, the council is required to review and adopt speed limits along this stretch of road.
The council's group manager for Infrastructure Services Gary Allis said road safety engineers have assessed the road in accordance with national practice, and made suggestions to the council.
"Council is proposing the speed limit on the rural sections be 80km/h to improve safety and reflect the changed function of the road.
"We're also proposing to extend the 50km/h section to the Domain Road side of Te Puke Quarry Road and to extend the 70km/h limit in the same area. On the east side of Te Puke the proposal is to replace the present 80km/h section with 70 km/h."
These proposals are now open for public consultation. Residents are strongly encouraged to make their views of these suggestions known.
Two new stretches of road need to be renamed - from Domain Road to Te Puke Quarry Road (Western end) and from No 1 Road to the intersection with SH33 at Paengaroa (Eastern end).
Jellicoe Street, from Te Puke Quarry Road through Te Puke to No 1 Road, will not be changed.
Council is seeking public feedback on a list of suggested names, and asking residents to offer further suggestions.
Proposed names to date for the Western side of the existing SH2 are: McNaughton Road; Long Swamp Road; Packhouse Road; Whiteside Road; Jutland Road (relating to the battle involving Admiral John Jellicoe); Green Road and Gold Road.
Suggestions for the Eastern stretch are: Goodness Highway; Te Kapua Road (Captain of the Te Arawa canoe); Huanui Highway (translation - Highway); Jutland Road; Packhouse Road; Green Road and Gold Road.
Along with these changes, the Transport Agency and Council are working to ensure the Te Puke Corridor is 'fit for purpose' for its new function as an arterial road serving the Te Puke community.
This includes ensuring the road encourages through-traffic to use the TEL, unless they need, or want, to travel through Te Puke.
"We also aim to attract more business and leisure travellers to stop in Te Puke to take advantage of the boutique retail area and enjoy the friendly service and easy parking," Mr Allis said.
A range of improvement and maintenance work, estimated to cost about $10million, will be undertaken by the Transport Agency, including safety improvements, and the addition of a wide centre line in the current 100km/h sections.
The council is also preparing to begin work on a recently adopted urban improvement plan for the section from the Te Puke commercial area to No3 Road, which will cost about $950,000 to implement.
Submission forms for both speed limits and road names can be completed online from Friday, 23 January at www.westernbay.govt.nz.
Submissions close 5.00pm, Friday February 27, 2015.