Reducing disruption on Tauranga’s roads during major roading and waters construction is high on the agenda for Tauranga City Council, with a range of improvements designed to move more people, not just more cars.
The city is growing rapidly, and major roading and waters projects, such as the Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay upgrade, are scheduled to begin over the next few years.
Mayor Mahé Drysdale says these works will cause temporary disruption and increased congestion before the long-term benefits are realised.
“Tauranga’s roads are already congested, and action is needed to keep the city moving during construction and into the future. With 26,000 vehicles per day currently using the Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay corridor for example, the project will significantly impact the travelling public, along with nearby businesses and schools. Therefore, careful planning is essential to successfully manage these challenges,” says Mahé.
To help reduce disruption and improve travel during construction, Tauranga City Council is considering a range of improvements.
“Smarter traffic signals and adjustments to traffic lanes will help reduce travel delays around the city. This might include introducing high occupancy vehicle lanes on some of our main roads such as Fraser Street and Welcome Bay Road,” says Manager of Transport System Operations, Shawn Geard.
“These lanes are for vehicles where two, three or more people travelling in a vehicle can exclusively use the lane to improve their travel time. This includes buses and people carpooling.”
Having travel time messaging boards and better traffic data on navigation apps such as Google Maps will also help keep people informed about where the congestion is and help them plan their journey.
Tauranga City Council could also support other efficient and alternative travel choices such as walking, cycling, and carpooling and would like feedback on whether the community would support this.
“Tauranga has high dependency on single occupant cars, which contribute to congestion,” says Shawn.
“Even a small shift to other modes of transport, such as carpooling, catching the bus, cycling, and walking will help to reduce the congestion on our roads.”
There is currently no funding for longer-term improvements, such as park and ride facilities or a more connected cycle network, but Tauranga City Council is looking at other, smaller improvements that might help people get around more easily during construction.
More information about these improvements, as well as a survey, can be found at letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/keeptaurangamoving.
Tauranga City Council also wants to hear from people about how they currently travel, what other travel options they might consider and what changes could be made to help us all live with the expected disruption.
Take the survey and help shape the journey. Feedback is open from Friday 7 November to Friday 5 December 2025.
| Image caption | Peak hour traffic at the Fifteenth Avenue/Fraser Street intersection |