Ngongotahā roadworks: Western Rd detour to be removed on Monday

Rush hour near the Ngongotaha Rd roundabout project. Photo / File

The Western Rd detour at the State Highway 5/SH36 roundabout near Ngongotahā will be removed Monday.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said work was planned to take place on Sunday night to reduce impact on traffic and will involve the removal of the detour and partially opening the roundabout by 6am on Monday.

The roundabout will remain a construction zone with traffic management in place while contractors apply final surfacing, complete the slip lanes from Ngongotahā to Rotorua and Rotorua to Hamilton, and finish line marking, concrete footpaths, driveways and landscaping.

These works require the roundabout to remain single lane in each direction for the next three weeks, weather dependent.

There will be a 50km/h temporary speed limit through the roundabout. The two temporary roundabouts at Western Rd and in Ngongotahā may remain in place for a few days until the weather allows for removal of line-markings.

The final layer of surfacing will be completed in November.

Waka Kotahi NZTA asked road users to keep to the speed limits and watch out for crews on the roadside.

Signs are in place to advise road users of the upcoming road layout changes.

While the new roundabout will be open, the community is being advised to expect delays as people get used to the new road layout and while the roundabout continues to be an active worksite for the next few weeks as final works are completed.

Waka Kotahi acknowledged the upgrade was a disruptive piece of work and thanked the local community and road users, especially those who commute through the work site daily, for their patience during recent months.