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Motorway in New Zealand From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) is a four lane motorway in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand, covering 23 km from Te Maunga junction in Tauranga to Paengaroa. It was officially opened on 30 July 2015. It replaced a section of State Highway 2, improving access to Tauranga from the east (Te Puke, Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki, Gisborne) and south (Rotorua and Taupō). It became the main route for trucks heading to the Port of Tauranga from Rotorua and the eastern Bay of Plenty, and connected the Central Plateau forestry industry with the port to facilitate lumber export.
Tauranga Eastern Link | |
---|---|
State Highway 2 | |
Route information | |
Maintained by NZ Transport Agency | |
Length | 23 km (14 mi) |
Major junctions | |
From | Te Maunga |
To | Paengaroa |
Location | |
Country | New Zealand |
Major cities | Tauranga |
Highway system | |
The Tauranga Eastern Link is a four lane, dual carriageway, providing a safer and more direct route between Tauranga to Paengaroa.
Construction of the Tauranga Eastern Link officially started on 19 November 2010[1] and was due for completion in 2016, however construction ran six months ahead of schedule and the project was officially opened in late July 2015.[2]
Tolling received significant community support (92% both conditional and unconditional) and as a result the NZTA submitted a tolling proposal to the Cabinet who approved it.[citation needed]
The Tauranga Eastern Link begins at the Te Maunga Roundabout in Tauranga and follows the route of the existing SH 2 to Domain Road, with junctions at Sandhurst Road /Mangatawa Road and Domain Road/Tara Road. The route then runs across rural land, parallel to Tara Road, before crossing Parton Road and running along the sandhills to the Kaituna River. At this point the highway crosses the river on a 150-metre-long (490 ft) bridge and runs past the Kaituna Wildlife Management Reserve. It then heads south east across dairy farms and orchards before crossing the railway line and terminating at a roundabout, intersecting SH 33, north of Paengaroa.
Since official opening in August 2015, the Tauranga Eastern Link has been a tolled highway.[3]
In December 2017 it became one of the first two sections of highway in New Zealand to be given a speed limit of 110 km/h.[4]
![]() | This article contains a bulleted list or table of intersections which should be presented in a properly formatted junction table. (November 2021) |
Territorial authority | Location | Exit | Destination | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tauranga | Te Maunga | ![]() ![]() |
Tauranga Eastern Link begins | |
Mangatawa | Sandhurst Drive – Papamoa Mangatawa Lane |
|||
Papamoa | Domain Road / Tara Road – Papamoa, Papamoa East Te Puke Highway – Te Puke |
|||
Western Bay of Plenty | Rangiuru | Automated toll point | ||
Paengaroa | ![]() ![]() Te Puke Highway – Te Puke |
Tauranga Eastern Link ends |
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