About 2000 daffodil bulbs, which were planted near the entrance at the arrival of the new millennium and marked with a special plaque, had been lifted out and would be replanted back in place once the work was completed.
The complete link project is designed to streamline the delivery of produce to the region's main processing hub in Whakatu, and from there to major export links out of the region.
Hastings District Council works and services committee chairman Kevin Watkins said the construction for the final roundabout had been carefully co-ordinated to reduce traffic disruption as much as possible.
"We want it to go as well as the installation of the Mangaterere roundabout," he said.
"Of course there is always some disruption but by building the sections that are not in the current roadway first we can make very good progress and then shift the traffic toward the end of the installation."
Watkins said that with the NZ Transport Agency also at work on roundabout construction on the Napier-Hastings Expressway things were made a little more difficult.
"It means we must ensure that both our organisations' constructions go as smoothly and efficiently as possible."
NZTA system manager Wayne Oldfield said the expressway roundabout and approaches project was well in hand and set to be wrapped up before the Pakowhai project.
"By constructing the two projects in parallel we are able to reduce the longer term disruption to the customer."
In other projects under way across the region's highway network motorists can expect slight delays.
On SH2 between Clive and Hastings, at the Karamu Stream bridge, bridge repairs are being carried out with with temporary speed restrictions in place at times during concreting and welding work — it will continue to operate two lanes at all times however.
Temporary speed limits and stop-go signals are in place on SH2 south between Peka Peka and Te Mahanga while safety improvements are carried out.