Work set to start on Tata highway-to-beach project

Work starts next week on safety improvements at the bottom of Tatapouri Hill on the eastern side to make it safer for traffic turning off SH35. Picture by Paul Rickard

Work gets under way at the beginning of next month on a range of safety improvements at Tatapouri Beach on State Highway 35.

The work at the popular location will include a new right-turn bay for people to better access the beach from the highway.

Other work will include shoulder-widening, new signage, resurfacing and line marking.

NZ Transport Agency contractors will begin a scheduled five weeks of work at the site on Monday.

“To minimise the delays, crews will be working seven days a week between 6am and 7pm,” said NZTA Waka Kotahi regional manager of infrastructure delivery Rob Partridge.

A mix of traffic management will be in place.

“The project will start with a week of enabling works. There will be two lanes of traffic, as per normal.

However, a reduced speed limit will be in place around the clock.”

For the following three weeks, stop/go traffic management will be in place through the worksite, with a reduced speed limit in place.

“When the worksite isn’t active, two lanes of traffic will be open.

“In the final week of work, there will once again be two lanes of traffic, but at the same reduced speed. During this week, there’ll be one day of stop/go traffic management for line marking.”

In December, a rock retaining wall was built slightly further south at the top of Tatapouri Hill.

Mr Partridge said traffic waiting on the highway to turn right to access local businesses, or the beach carpark, was dangerous.

“Given the beach access is just around the bend, after coming downhill, waiting in the lane can be a safety issue.

“We know the value of this area and the beach access to the people of Tairāwhiti and to tourists. Making it safer to visit and enjoy the area is incredibly important.”