Two large sculptures will soon be installed near the Papamoa gateway to the Tauranga Eastern Link.
A huge 130m long and nine metre high palisade pa structure will sit on the south eastern side of the TEL near the Domain Road interchange, and an 8m high spinifex will be installed on the north eastern side of the road, near the Tara Road roundabout.
New Zealand Transport Agency senior project manager Wayne Troughton said the two works, entitled "Bound Around", were created by renowned New Zealand artist Regan Gentry, who will begin overseeing the installation this month.
Mr Troughton said the public artworks would help create a gateway threshold and a sense of place, transforming the TEL from a long straight highway, into a culturally significant space that reflects local stories.
"These sculptures will help make the TEL a road to remember for travelers," he said.
"The pa sculpture points to the historic pa sites in the Papamoa Hills and the spinifex references the beach and the wind-blown coastal plant that is a feature of the Papamoa beachscape, which runs parallel to the TEL."
"The sculptures will join other artworks and urban design elements already in place along the TEL , that identify key locations, such as the waharoa which overlooks the new Paengaroa roundabout, or the panels on the Domain Road interchange that reflect the historic flax trade.
"There are many special places dotted along the TEL and we felt it was important to capture these and help the community tell the local stories."
Bound Around is funded by the NZ Transport Agency through the TEL project and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, with in kind support from Tauranga City Council in the form of poles that will be used to form the pa structure.
The cost of the project is approximately $200,000 including design, build and installation.