Western Bay of Plenty District Council's journey to deliver a State Highway 2 Ōmokoroa intersection just got a little smoother and is one step closer to securing $38 million to significantly upgrade the intersection.
Kāinga Ora announced today Western Bay of Plenty District Council's $38.4m application will now progress to the negotiation stage of the $1 billion Infrastructure Acceleration Fund (IAF).
If approved, the $38.4m application would see construction of an interim solution to the safety and capacity issues at the SH2 Ōmokoroa intersection. The proposal is seen as a minimum 10-year solution until funding is available to build a full interchange.
Western Bay Mayor Garry Webber says while this does not mean the proposal will automatically receive funding this is a big step forward for the Western Bay.
"We aren't quite across the line just yet, but it is exciting nonetheless given the history of this infrastructure project following countless push backs and funding limitations.