Work to upgrade Long Mile Rd began on Thursday as part of the Whakarewarewa Forest development which includes improved facilities in the Tokorangi Forest (Redwoods) and a new forest hub off Tarawera Rd.
An investment of $14.5 million to enhance the forest amenity for all users is being used with funds coming from the Rotorua Lakes Council and the Provincial Growth Fund. It is expected to take three years.
The first stage which began on Thursday involved infrastructure upgrades at Long Mile Rd. The work would include formalising footpaths and shared paths (to improve safety), car and bus parking, upgrading stormwater management, kerbs and channels, and improving the connection to Scion, a Rotorua Lakes Council press release said.
Rotorua Lakes Council's senior project manager for the Whakarewarewa Forest development Will Bamford said that Long Mile Rd would remain accessible throughout the upgrade and disruption would be kept to a minimum.
The first stage of the upgrade will begin at Tarawera Rd and will involve widening the entrance to Long Mile Rd. Safety will be improved by providing dedicated turning bays for vehicles coming in and out of this busy intersection, the release said.
