Tauranga residents are advised to plan ahead to avoid travel delays this weekend as record numbers of athletes and visitors descend on the region to take part in high-profile events.
Saturday will be a particularly busy day for the city's roads with thousands of athletes expected to take part in the iconic Mount Festival of Multisport, while the Bay Oval will host the T20 Black Clash, and the inaugural Polo in the Bay takes place at Trustpower Arena.
Tauranga City Council's Venues and Events Manager Nelita Byrne said the city will see an influx of people this weekend and they urged people to plan ahead and avoid the traffic hotspots where possible.
Several road closures will be in place for the Mount Festival of Multisport:
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• Oceanbeach Rd and Pāpāmoa Beach Rd up to Parton Rd will be closed from 4.30am to 1pm on Saturday January 22.
• Marine Parade and Adams Avenue will be closed from 4.30am to 5pm on Saturday January 22.
• The Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road (TEL) eastbound lanes between Domain Rd and Paengaroa will be closed for the cycle leg of the event from 6am to 1pm on Saturday January 22. Motorists are advised to take the Te Puke Highway as an alternative route.
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Roads may open sooner to vehicles when possible. Residents and businesses can still access their properties during the event but are asked to plan ahead for travel or consider using alternative routes.
Significant congestion and delays of up to 30 minutes on Saturday morning are likely, particularly in Pāpāmoa around Parton and Tara Rds, as cyclists link up with the Tauranga Eastern Link leg of the event on Saturday between 7.45am and 11.45am.
"To avoid the traffic delays disrupting your plans, where possible, please aim to travel outside of these times," Byrne said.
For safety reasons, the TEL and Paengaroa roundabout will be closed to spectators, and traffic management will be in place.
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Advertise with NZME.The best place to watch the event is along Marine Parade and Oceanbeach Rd, Mount Maunganui.
Signage with detour routes will be in place in the days leading up to the event. For up-to-date information on traffic, detours and delays, visit the Waka Kotahi journey planner here.
Saturday evening will also be busy in Mount Maunganui with about 10,000 people heading to Bay Oval for the T20 Black Clash.
Sunday will be another busy day with Concert in the Park on the Tauranga Waterfront, and the Round the Mount Swim, starting at Pilot Bay.
The three events taking place on Saturday are expected to attract more than 12,000 people to Tauranga and contribute more than $700k to regional GDP as the city kicks off an impressive summer series of events.
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