About 50 property owners will be affected, and three Te Arawa hapu, whose land the proposed road runs through, say authorities should upgrade Te Ngae Rd to four lanes.
NZTA Waikato and Bay of Plenty regional director Harry Wilson said the agency now had clarity around the depth of concerns by the hapu - Ngati Hurunga Te Rangi, Ngati Te Roro o Te Rangi and Ngati Uenukukopako.
"Although a petition does not have any legal weight, our view is that this petition, along with the three hapu's list of concerns, is a clear expression of their views on the preferred designation for REA.
"We were pleased by the invitation from Ngati Hurunga Te Rangi, Ngati Te Roro o Te Rangi and Ngati Uenukukopako to meet and to hear their concerns about the proposed designation route for REA and we hope going forward we can find a suitable pathway for future and ongoing discussions about these concerns," Mr Wilson said.
In June, about 300 people marched on the Rotorua District Council to present members of the council's Te Arawa Standing Committee with their preferred option of upgrading Te Ngae Rd to four lanes.
At the time, Rotorua Mayor Kevin Winters said he would be an advocate for them in presenting their concerns to the NZTA.
However, Mr Winters has always supported the route saying that it was important for Rotorua's future economic growth.
Mr Pirika could not be contacted for comment.
