Relief for Papamoa East residents is in sight, with the delay-plagued Te Okuroa Dr extension set to open soon.
Residents and councillors, however, say there is still work to do on the $9.2 million stretch of road.
Construction of the stage D extension of Te Okuroa Dr to Livingstone Dr in Golden Sands started in January last year and was originally scheduled to finish in September but faced a series of construction delays.
A Tauranga City Council spokesperson confirmed the project was on track to be completed in early March.
Pāpāmoa resident and business owner Deidre Rowe said it was "fantastic news".
Rowe, a Tauranga resident of 20 years and owner of Jopanni Bridal in Pāpāmoa for six years, said she was confident that business in the area would improve as customers would be able to travel there more easily.
"It's really important for local businesses that it's finished."
Jopanni Bridal owner Deidre Rowe said the extension would help boost business in Pāpāmoa East. Photo / George Novak
Pāpāmoa Residents and Ratepayers Association committee member John Middleton said it was disappointing the route experienced so many delays - and he was not holding his breath to see if the project was completed this time.
He said the council should encourage developments, such as Palm Springs, to get more roads connected to the extension so it could be fully used.
Pāpāmoa Beach Rd was the next road that needed attention - it was currently over capacity and needed to be updated to allow for more cars and safe cycling, he said.
The association's treasurer, Peter Powley, said the extension should have been completed months ago.
While it was good news the route was nearly ready, it was too narrow and should have been made with four lanes, instead of two, to cater for the increasing traffic. He also had safety concerns about cycling given the width of the road.
Mount Maunganui/Pāpāmoa ward councillor Leanne Brown said that while she appreciated that some residents understandably felt frustrated at the delay, it was four years ahead of the original completion date of 2023, before the council brought the project forward.
The extension would ease pressure on Papamoa Beach Rd and give commuters more options to get through to Tara Rd and Tauranga Eastern Link, she said.
While there had been talk of using the new route as a potential tsunami evacuation route, Brown said it was not intended for this use.
Brown said the council's message had always encouraged people to escape on foot, and had invested in signage and walking paths to help facilitate this. Evacuating by car was only for those who could not do so on foot.
Tauranga City Council said the Te Okuroa Dr extension is set to be completed in early March. Photo / George Novak
Fellow Mount Maunganui/Pāpāmoa ward councillor Steve Morris said the extension was vital.
He said that from here, the spotlight would be on housing developments to add links to Te Okuroa Dr so that residents did not need to take Pāpāmoa Beach Rd.
