We are renewing the roundabout road surface and underlying structural pavement and incorporating additional improvements to the current layout which are expected to improve the flow of traffic, as well as safety improvements.

Along with the road surface renewal, work will involve the removal of the existing "tear-drop" layout and construction of a new fully functioning roundabout, with additional left stacking lane in to Landing Road. A Council-owned property bordering the current roundabout has been removed to allow the new roundabout centre island to move further away from the bridge.

This "stacking lane" design creating more room for vehicles approaching town from the Whakatāne Bridge. It will enable the re-introduction of the full circulation of the roundabout which is critical to improve access for all users and allow for future transport connections and network wide improvements.

Current safety and access issues for those on scooters, bikes, or walking, will be addressed through safe crossing points across Landing Road and Hinemoa Street and the beauty of the area will also be enhanced.

In addition, as part of the futureproofing of the roundabout, we are relocating underground infrastructure services (such as wastewater pipes) to the area where the corner house used to be. This means the new road surface won’t be impacted if we need to access these services in the future.When is this happening?

Work has now started, and the majority of works will be completed early December 2023, prior to Christmas. Expect significant delays from 11th September when roundabout construction works begin.

From Monday, September 11, major closures will impact Hinemoa Street and will be in place in a variety of stages until early December.

Road closure details

• Phase 1:  11 September – 22 October
  Right turn lane into Hinemoa Street closed from Whakatāne Bridge.
• Phase 2:  23 October – 2 November
  Hinemoa Street closed from roundabout to Victoria Avenue. Affected residents have been provided access permits.
• Phase 2.5 – 3 November – 28 November
  Traffic will flow around roundabout, but not yet into Hinemoa Street.
• Phase 3 – 29 November – 15 December
  Roundabout re-opened with small works taking place off road.

Movements from Whakatāne Bridge into Landing Road will remain open during all phases. Further works on the footpaths and landscaping will be completed in the early new year. Work will be completed between 7am-5pm Monday-Saturday.

These closures, combined with on-site works are expected to result in traffic delays across the local roading network – allow more time for travel.

The work involved is substantial and will have a significant impact on traffic.

Residents and visitors are advised there will be significant delays and interruptions to normal travel times and are being encouraged to plan ahead for this.

We appreciate this situation is not ideal, but it’s the necessary downside to having these important works implemented.

We will do everything we can to minimise disruption to traffic, this includes ensuring the flow of traffic is maintained (ie. there will not be stop/go in place), however we encourage everyone to use this time now to plan ahead – before the delays begin. Learn more about hiring an e-bike here.

Consider using alternate transport modes such as walking, biking or carpooling where possible. This will not only reduce the congestion of the intersection but will also reduce general congestion into town from SH30, and throughout town too. It’s better for your wallet, your health, your well-being and the environment.

Other ways to reduce unnecessary travel include (where possible), working from home, getting items such as groceries and retail purchases delivered, and utilising school bus and public transport services where available. Learn more about hiring an e-bike here. Failing this, allow more time to get to where you need to be.

Traffic in to Whakatāne from Awakeri, Edgecumbe and Kawerau, and all heavy traffic, is encouraged to use SH2/Tāneatua Road (over the Pekatahi Bridge). While this route is approximately 10mins/13km longer into town, during construction it may be more efficient.

Please note, for further information or to ask a question regarding SH2/Pekatahi Bridge, please contact Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

People travelling locally around Whakatāne are advised that from September 11th, there will be significant delays and interruptions to normal travel times and are being encouraged to plan ahead for this. Allow more time to get to where you need to be. Be courteous with your fellow commuters.

People travelling in to Whakatāne are advised that from September 11th, there will be significant delays and interruptions to normal travel times and are being encouraged to plan ahead for this. Allow more time to get to where you need to be.

Traffic in to Whakatāne from Awakeri, Edgecumbe and Kawerau, and all heavy traffic, is encouraged to use SH2/Tāneatua Road (over the Pekatahi Bridge). While this route is approximately 10mins/13km longer into town, during construction it may be more efficient.

Please note, for further information or to ask a question regarding SH2/Pekatahi Bridge, please contact Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

Heavy trucks usually use Hinemoa Street to access Arawa Road. With Hinemoa Street being closed at the Victoria Avenue intersection from September 11th, we are encouraging heavy trucks to avoid town if possible and use SH2/Tāneatua Road (over the Pekatahi Bridge). While this route is approximately 10mins/13km longer into town, during construction it may be more efficient. Heavies that do need to enter town will use arterial routes only such as Landing Road, McAlister Street, Commerce Street and Valley Road (not residential streets).

During construction pedestrian detours will be in place and clearly signposted to ensure continual safe foot traffic access through the area. No allowance will be made to cross Landing Road due to safety, however the existing underpass under the bridge will remain open. Access is via the stairs next to the bridge, or the Rowing Club driveway, and via the Warren Cole carpark.

During this work, while pedestrian access will be maintained through the site, please note, heavy machinery will be operating nearby. We would appreciate you discussing this activity with tamariki / children in your care. In particular, we encourage tamariki moving through the area either on foot or by scooter or bike, to pay close attention to their surroundings and use the allocated pedestrian access ways which are heavily signposted.

For the safety of the public, a traffic controller will be on site during this project and will be keeping a close eye on pedestrian traffic in this area particularly around peak times.

Following this work, there will be improved accessibility and crossing links at this busy intersection. This is important as it is a key link between the northern and southern ends of town, and is a busy intersection for school foot traffic accessing the nearby intermediate and primary schools.

To do the road surface renewal alone (which need to be done as it has deteriorated) will cost between $1.4-1.6M. To do the road surface renewals as part of the wider improvements takes the total project cost to $2.6M.

This project is 63% funded by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (Central Government / Non rates-related). Likewise with the majority of Whakatāne District Council's overall roading spend.

The 37% from Whakatāne District Council is loan funded and is part of the current Long Term Plan.

At this stage the only road closures planned are a section of Hinemoa Street (between the roundabout and Victoria Ave), and the Landing Road extension near the rowing club, which will be open to residents only from September 11th (permits have been issued for residents and also for Rowing Club members who will be permitted to park at the end of Landing Road extension). If additional temporary closures are required, we will let our communities know.

Permits can either be stuck to the inside of your vehicle window or placed on your dashboard. Should you require additional permits for your property (e.g: for a caregiver coming into your home, if you have more than two vehicles at your property etc), these can be requested by emailing landingroad@whakatane.govt.nz or calling 07 306 0500.

A traffic controller will be on site monitoring the closure area to triage visitors/tradespeople and other vehicles that may need to access properties periodically. Please be assured, they will be provided access upon explanation and if safe to do so. Access will be maintained for service vehicles such as kerbside rubbish trucks and mail / courier vehicles. 

With this work site being around a residential area, night-time construction is not an option for the majority of the work.

In addition, due to the construction methodologies related to the road pavement construction, the areas under construction need to be closed to traffic for long durations, so there isn't the option to work at night then open to traffic during the day, like we have with some roading projects. The road surface is being constructed from a type of concrete so is not able to be trafficked for a number of weeks. But this will improve its design life to nearly double a standard pavement (normal design life is 25 years, this pavement has a 40 year design life - resurfacing will still be required approximately every 12-18 years but will only be a couple nights impact each time).

There are however some portions of the infrastructure component of this project (renewing/replacing water and wastewater pipes in the area) that can occur at night due to limited noise impacts on nearby residents.

A fully functional roundabout with additional left stacking lane (from the Bridge to Landing Road) was identified as the preferred concept option.

This design will increase capacity of the pre-trial layout, by shifting the roundabout further south, and introducing a “stacking lane”, creating more stacking room for vehicles approaching from the Bridge.

It will enable the re-introduction of the full circulation of the roundabout which is critical to improve access for all users and allow for future transport connections and network wide improvements. It will also improve alternate mode connections across Landing Road and Hinemoa Street.

Other options that were evaluated and weren’t progressed include:

• Minor Safety Improvements - realignment of approaches, improved line marking and safer crossing facilities. This would provide some improvement to safety but wouldn't reinstate full functionality.
• Mini roundabout - A smaller roundabout would reduce vehicle approach speeds, improving safety. But would reduce gaps selection, reduce capacity likely increase crashes.
• Two-Laned Roundabout - additional lanes would reduce safety for motorists, create additional severance issues for walkers, create merges downstream limiting capacity improvement.
• Signalised 4-way intersection - Would improve safety and access for active users. But significantly increase delays during peak and would increase overall travel times outside of peak periods.
• Realignment to create T-intersection and signalise - Achieved by creating a T-Intersection for Landing Road West on to Hinemoa close to the signals. Similar results to the 4-way intersection.

Other options beyond project scope - an additional connection across the Whakatāne river has been considered, but this is outside the scope of this project. Alignment to potential future transport connections has remained an important consideration during option assessment.

The tear drop was always introduced as a temporary trial. Because of the complexities with this intersection it has taken time to consider and determine the best way forward. The tear drop is being removed because although it improves direct access from the bridge into Landing Road, it severs the urban arterial ring route, which is critical to future transport links into Whakatāne, and the function of traffic movements through the township.

The shifting of the roundabout centre island to create a left turn stacking lane off the bridge will help maintain flows from the bridge into Landing Road (similar to the tear drop) but will also allow the roundabout to be fully functioning and keep the right traffic movements on the right roads.

The tear drop helps with the flow of traffic from the bridge into Landing Road being unimpeded. But this creates perverse effects, making it hard for pedestrians to cross the steady stream of traffic, it severs the urban arterial ring route, and it diverts arterial traffic movements through residential streets. The removal of the tear drop is necessary to regain full operation of the roundabout, which is a key intersection on the urban arterial ring route, and to keep the right traffic on the right roads.

The introduction of the left turn stacking lane will improve the flow of traffic movements from prior to the tear drop trial, by giving room for right turning traffic exiting the bridge to wait for a gap, while still allowing left turn movements from the bridge into Landing Road to continue moving.

The Council-owned property at #83 Landing Road was sold and removed. This land will be used as part of this roundabout development, including a green space area. In addition, some infrastructure services will be relocated to this area as part of the futureproofing of the roundabout road surface.

This reduces future maintenance needs at this roundabout by taking the many existing services out from beneath the road surface.

We're very aware this site is closely linked to the Whakatāne Bridge, and the expectant delays will naturally bring up the 'second bridge' topic, which we know is a passionate one for many.

A second bridge is out of the scope of this project; however, it is being considered in the development of the next Long Term Plan and Infrastructure Strategy.

The improvement works at this intersection, contribute to optimising the urban arterial ring-route, which is a key step that needs to happen prior to any future additional access route into Whakatāne.

Progressing a second bridge is a major investment that will require investment sign off from both Whakatāne District Council and Waka Kotahi. A new transport connection to Whakatane would be in the vicinity of $150M (more than Council's total annual spend across all areas) this project is $2.6M).

With the new design, continuing to provide vehicle access here would create access and safety issues.  The space will still be available for pedestrian/alternate mode access, with enhanced landscaping provided. Car park access to Warren Cole will be available in Landing Road extension in front of the rowing club. The improved crossing facilities around the roundabout will provide safe access between this car parking area and the Warren Cole walkway.

While the renewal and upgrade will improve traffic flows, accessibility and safety of road users, it won’t be a silver bullet for reducing delays.

While there is expected to be an increase in the number of movements through the roundabout at any one time, it will not make a significant difference to queue lengths or travel times during peak periods, because those things relate to network wide traffic movements, not just this one intersection.

Part of the options assessment included traffic modelling to understand the impacts on traffic movements and travel times from the various options and this evidence has been used to selected the preferred option that is being constructed.

In terms of pedestrian cycle access, it will improve the crossing facilities at this key intersection making this a lot easier and safer for the many school children that cross this intersection. This in turn encourages more students to walk or cycle to school as they feel safer doing so. For vehicles exiting Hinemoa Street wanting to turn right towards town, they will now be able to do this directly at the roundabout, rather than having to detour out to the Keepa Road roundabout or having to use residential streets as through roads.

The centre island of the roundabout will have low maintenance native planting and a sculptural feature (pou). One of the improvements is to reduce the need for people to access the centre island to improve the health and safety for those workers. In lieu of the existing centre flower gardens, there will be new flowers and landscaping in the greenspaces around the outside of the roundabout.

During construction the Landing Road extension near the rowing club will be open to residents only and rowing club members. All affected parties have been issued access permits. Following construction full access will be reinstated.

The flagpole will be relocated to a green space near the left of Warren Cole Walkway when exiting the bridge into town.

This resurfacing renewal is necessary to prevent major potholes occurring at this busy roundabout. The road surface is deteriorating and aging, and reaching the time in its lifecycle that it needs a full renewal to stay functional. Think of it like the roof on your house, you can patch it up to extend its life so many times, but it eventually comes to the point in time, where it needs a full roof replacement to prevent major leaks into your home. That’s what we’re doing here to prevent those major potholes.

Please also note, Whakatāne District Council is responsible for maintenance and development of the District's roads. Council is not responsible for State Highways that run through our District. If you have any concerns relating to the State Highway, please contact Waka Kotahi the New Zealand Transport Agency directly.

Road maintenance Council is responsible includes, potholes or other road failure, slips or dropouts, fallen trees, spills or rubbish on the road, blocked drains or culverts, guardrail or bridge damage, glass or debris on the road, damaged signs, broken footpaths, graffiti and streetlights not working. If you have seen any of these or other issues, then we want to know about it. Please report the fault to us by phoning Customer Services Centre on 07 306 0500 or complete the Fix-It/Report a Fault form.

Congestion is a network level issue that is not caused by this one intersection, but by a series of intersections and restrictions, along a busy arterial route. It is not possible to ‘fix’ this issue in one hit (financially or resource availability wise), there is no silver bullet. But while carrying out necessary renewal works, we are taking the opportunity to optimise the functionality at this intersection, which contributes to improving flow of transport movements, in turn reducing congestion.

Further improvements are planned and will continue, around the rest of the urban arterial ring route in the coming Long Term Plan and Infrastructure Strategy, and will form part of the transport response to the District-wide spatial plan project.

Congestion can be improved by either increasing capacity (making more lanes), or dispersing traffic flows. Whakatāne’s urban road corridors do not have the required width to allow for dual lanes, without major private property alterations and purchases (we have standard 20m corridors, dual lanes really need 30m plus corridors). Dual lanes also create major severance issues which would be even more prevalent in Whakatāne township having such a relatively small land area and the Landing/Domain arterial running right through the middle. The better technique for improving growing transport demands is to look at dispersing movements through a secondary connection that enters the urban arterial ring route at a separate location and allows the traffic movements to disperse across the network. This project continues to align our transport system to these future connection opportunities.

Also with Council’s transport projects being 63% funded by Waka Kotahi (central government) the projects are approved taking into account national relativity. On that basis there are numerous locations around the country that are prioritised much higher than Whakatāne when it comes to problems associated with congestion.

This was considered in the design phase but didn't progress for the following reasons:

• Modelling didn't show much benefit in terms of traffic flows
• Geometric design was difficult to fit (this is a heavy freight route at the roundabout so a large footprint is needed to allow for truck turning circles)
• Fitting in the slip would reduce the stacking room coming off the bridge so any benefit would be undone.

We continue to work with Waka Kotahi who own/manage the bridge and bridge paths, to lobby for a clip on/wide shared use path across the bridge.

Waka Kotahi recently conducted maintenance on Pekatahi Bridge in early July 2023. For further information or to ask a question regarding SH2/Pekatahi Bridge, please contact Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

This has been investigated however the Hub is a private car park for customers so couldn’t be promoted by Council as a place to park and ride. This being said, we encourage our communities to take this initiative in to their own hands and discuss the concept of carpooling with friends and whānau. We all need to be better at ride sharing, this situation may further encourage us all to do so. Our environment and our wallets will thank us for it.

Watercarts will be on site for dust suppression. This is normal practice for construction works.

All footpaths and crossings around the roundabout area will be wider than the existing paths. This is part of our Active Whakatāne specifications to help make it easier for people on scooters, walking, mobility scooters etc to manoeuvre around.

We are issuing regular communication to affected residents in the nearby neighbourhood, as well as the wider commuting public. You can stay up to date one of the following ways:

• www.whakatane.govt.nz/landingroad
• www.facebook.com/whakatanedistrictcouncil
• Media releases published in Whakatāne Beacon
• Advertisements in Whakatāne Beacon
• Advertisements on Radio 1XX and Sun FM
• Letters / flyers to residents
• Council newsletter updates (Edgecumbe Collective, Matatā Matters, Kō Konei, Murupara Community Board Newsletter)
• Electronic VMS billboard signage

Parking outside the Rowing Club will be closed due to construction. However, permits have been issued for Rowing Club members who will be permitted to park at the end of Landing Road extension.

This essential upgrade to existing water and wastewater infrastructure will enhance its efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.

This work involves excavation work to locate and confirm underground services (pipes, cables and equipment associated with electricity, gas, water etc). Once this work is completed, the new water and wastewater pipes will be installed using a technique called horizontal directional drilling. As part of this process, properties where the new pipe is being installed will have their water connection and water meter replaced, and new boxes installed.

For those in the nearby area, there will be some noise which is generally associated with this type of work and some temporary vehicle access disruptions to some residents in the area.

There will also be a temporary water supply interruption to parts of Whakatāne township and surrounding areas when we switch over to the new water pipe. We are anticipating this will occur overnight during the first week of September, however we will provide additional communication closer to the date regarding timeframes and associated impacts.