Traffic is flowing at Tauranga's Barkes Corner depsite State Highway 29A being closed due to a large cavity. Video / Alex Cairns
State Highway 29A in Tauranga will close Wednesday and Thursday night this week for repair work to continue on a large tomo - a fissure or opening in the ground near the surface.
The road at Oropi closed Friday after the 4m-deep, 4m-wide cavity – stretching at least 11m across the width of the highway - was discovered.
The road between Barkes Corner and Oropi Rd Roundabout reopened Tuesday morning but will close from 7pm to 6am tonight and tomorrow for repair work to continue including completing a side drain, berm works and manhole connections to the new culvert, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said in a statement.
The tomo on State Highway 29A was a 4m-deep and 4m-wide fissure stretching at least 11m across the width of the highway. Photo / NZTA
The highway re-opened following emergency repairs to replace 38m of stormwater pipe, which had cracked and created the cavity under the road.
“The team will need to return for an additional night, at a date to be advised, to complete the final surfacing and address any damaged seal. The public will be notified once this work has been scheduled.
“NZTA thanks road users for their co-operation and patience while we complete these important works.”
Motorists praised for heeding warnings of major delays
Tauranga residents were urged to delay travel or work from home due to emergency roading repairs - and they listened.
Waka Kotahi has praised motorists who heeded warnings of major delays after the tomo was discovered on Friday afternoon, combined with an unavoidable lane closure on Totara St in Mount Maunganui.
Traffic flowed smoothly despite urgent repairs being carried out on the highway.
A section of State Highway 29a is closed due to a sinkhole. Photo / Alex Cairns
Tomo caused by stormwater drain failure
“It was a 4m-deep and 4m-wide tomo or cavity – stretching at least 11m across the width of the highway,” said Roger Brady, Waka Kotahi’s acting manager of maintenance and operations in the Bay of Plenty in a written statement.
“The hole was caused by the failure of a stormwater drain, which likely occurred some time ago. Effectively, water leaking out of pipes formed a kind of underground stream which led to the erosion under the road.
“The section of SH29A between Barkes Corner and Oropi Rd rundabout has been fully closed since Friday night, for repairs.
“Our contractors have worked around the clock to replace 38m of stormwater pipe – which has meant digging up the whole road.
“We’ve backfilled the trench and we’re now in the process of building the road back up,” Brady said.
A massive tomo under repair by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency contractors. Photo Supplied / Waka Kotahi
“Our team will continue to work into the night to get the road open to traffic by tomorrow [Tuesday] morning’s peak.
“Road users need to be aware that they won’t be driving over the final asphalt seal but the road will be surfaced. There will be traffic management in place and a reduced speed limit of 50km/h. Full night-time closures will be required over two nights on Wednesday and Thursday to lay a bit more pipe at either end, install manholes and connections, and reinstate the excavated areas alongside the road.
“NZTA would like to thank Tauranga road users for heeding warnings about expected traffic congestion this morning. Delays were anticipated due to the sudden closure of SH29A, combined with a lane closure on Totara St for Tauranga City Council road rebuilding work.
“We suggested road users avoid travelling this morning, work from home or use alternative transport if they could – and they listened.
“We wanted to ensure that anyone who absolutely had to travel could get through without extended delays. In the end, there were around 20-minute delays at SH29A, which is similar to regular weekday peak-hour delays,” Brady said.
To help ease pressure on the network, NZTA rescheduled planned chip sealing of SH2 between Ōmokoroa and Bethlehem last night and tonight to ease congestion coming into the city.
Barkes Corner roundabout on Monday. Photo / Alex Cairns
“We’d like to thank Tauranga City Council for their help, and the people of Tauranga for their patience while we complete the urgent repairs on SH29A. Traffic may be heavy again during peak times but we’re doing everything we can to get SH29A open again,” Brady said.
On Monday, Google Maps live traffic showed congestion around the Tauranga Harbour Bridge and Hewletts Rd but a Bay of Plenty Times reporter said traffic had been flowing normally at Barkes Corner and Cameron Rd roundabout during morning peak hours.
In a written statement on Sunday, the council said it was expecting “major traffic delays and severe congestion” and urged commuters to work from home, ride share or use alternative transport if they could.
In a statement, Richard Eaton, the council’s transport network operations manager, said the council was “very thankful to the community for heeding calls to allow extra travel time, use other modes of transport or to avoid the area if possible”.
“This has allowed traffic to flow relatively well given the disruptions and diversions. We had reports of 20-minute delays at SH29A which is similar to regular weekday peak-hour delays,” he said.
The council thanked the community for their patience and understanding while work was under way to repair both roads.
The tomo, which is filled with water, is thought to have been caused by a failed stormwater drain. Photo / NZTA
Traffic on the harbour bridge. Photo / Alex Cairns
The cavity at the SH29A trouble spot is about 3m deep. Photo / NZTA Waka Kotahi
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.
