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State Highway 29 (New Zealand)

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State Highway 29 shield}}
State Highway 29
Route information
Maintained by NZ Transport Agency
Length53.7 km (33.4 mi)
Major junctions
Northeast end SH 2 north (Tamateu Arikinui Drive) in Tauranga
Major intersections SH 36 (Takitimu Drive) in Tauranga
SH 28 (Rapurapu Road) near Te Poi
SH 24 (Tauranga Road) near Te Poi
SH 27 near Hinuera
Southwest end SH 1 at Piarere
Location
CountryNew Zealand
Primary
destinations		Tauranga, Te Poi, Hinuera
Highway system
← SH 28→ SH 30

State Highway 29 (SH 29) is a New Zealand state highway that travels over the Kaimai Ranges linking the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions. For most of its length, SH 29 is a two-lane single carriageway with occasional passing lanes and slow vehicle bays. 5 km of it near its eastern terminus is part of the Takitimu Drive Toll Road.[1]

Route

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SH 29 begins at SH 2 at a grade separated intersection at which only westbound SH 2 traffic can enter and eastbound traffic can exit. Immediately after it commences, SH 29 becomes the Takitimu Drive (Pyes Pa – Mount Maunganui Expressway) Toll Road. Before the eastern terminus was shifted to this route it was better known as 'Route K'. At the end of this tolled section, SH 29 reaches a roundabout intersecting the former eastern section (now SH 29A) and SH 36. SH 29 turns west through the village of Tauriko. From here SH 29 roughly follows the Wairoa River as it climbs the Kaimai Ranges.

About a quarter of the way up the Kaimai's, SH 29 passes the Ruahihi Power Station and crosses the Wairoa River. About halfway up the Kaimais, the highway travels through the small village of Lower Kaimai. Once at the Kaimai Summit, SH 29 descends steeply to the Waikato region. After passing a junction with SH 28, SH 29 reaches a T-Junction with SH 24. Due to the layout of the junction, traffic wishing to stay on SH 29 must turn at this junction. 4 km after the junction, SH 29 reaches the village of Te Poi. SH 29 crosses SH 27 at a staggered T-Junction before entering the village of Hinuera. SH 29 then runs through the Hinuera Gap, which the Waikato River used to flow through until volcanic debris altered its course 20,000 years ago.[2] SH 29 terminates at a T-Junction with SH 1 near Piarere.

The Kaimai Range, which State Highway 29 traverses.

History

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During the 1890s it was decided that a formed road was needed to link Tauranga with the Waikato region. Two potential routes were suggested, both following the course of unformed tracks; these being the Kaimai Track and the Thompson's Track. At the time, there was much debate about which route should be chosen,[3] but ultimately the Kaimai Route was selected.[4]

The first journey in a car over the Kaimai Road was made on 6 December 1912; the journey from Tauranga to Cambridge took 3 and a half hours.[5] Throughout the 1920s, the road was metaled, with work starting at each end of the road, and working towards the summit.[6]

During 1939, a 3 miles (4.8 km) deviation was constructed on the eastern side of the summit. It replaced a narrow section of road with dozens of corners.[7] The old alignment is now called Old Kaimai Road.

Originally, the Kaimai Road (then called Cambridge Road) connected with Waihi Road in the suburb of Brookfield. Traffic would then travel down Waihi Road to the town centre. Around the 1950s, the existing road from Tauriko to Greerton was upgraded, and a new stretch of road was built from Barkes Corner to Maungatapu. SH 29 now follows this route through Tauranga's southern suburbs. When this road opened, there was only one roundabout on it; at Barkes Corner. Since then, 5 more roundabouts have been added, bringing the total number to 6.[8]

From the time the Maungatapu Bridge opened, until the 1980s, SH 29 (running concurrently with SH 2) ran through the suburb of Maungatapu on Maungatapu Road. Since the 1980s, SH 29 has run through Maungatapu as a limited access road, with a grade separated junction. As part of this work, a roundabout was constructed at Maungatapu, replacing a T-Junction. Around the same time the T-Junction at Te Maunga was replaced with a roundabout.

In December 2008, the Maungatapu and Welcome Bay roundabouts were signalised in response to rising levels of congestion. The roundabouts became the first in New Zealand to be permanently signalised,[9] and have been widely considered to be successful at easing congestion.[10]

Prior to 2009, when SH 2 ran via the Maungatapu Bridge instead of the Tauranga Harbour Bridge; SH 29 ran concurrently with SH 2 to Te Maunga, then ran along Maunganui Road and Hewletts Road, before terminating just before the Harbour Bridge. SH 2 now travels via the Harbour Bridge, Hewletts Road, and Maunganui Road to Te Maunga, and SH 29 was truncated to Te Maunga.

In August 2015, Route K became part of the New Zealand State Highway Network. Formerly administered by the Tauranga City Council, NZTA took over administration in conjunction with the newly commissioned electronic toll gantry, replacing the existing toll booths. SH 29 now follows this route forming a new link from the south-west to the city and port of Tauranga. The existing route east of the SH 36/Route K roundabout to Te Maunga became a new designation of SH 29A.[11]

Spurs

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State Highway 29A marker
State Highway 29A
LocationSH 2 at Te Maunga – SH 29/SH 36 at The Lakes
Length13.5 km (8.4 mi)

SH 29A was gazetted in 2015 and covers the former section of SH 29 east of the roundabout with SH 36/Route K. SH 29A starts at a roundabout interchange with SH 2. The highway crosses the East Coast Main Trunk Railway and passes Baypark Stadium. From here, SH 29A becomes a four lane dual carriageway until just before it crosses the Maungatapu Bridge, past Rangataua Bay. The highway travels in a wide cutting through Maungatapu, and Taipari Street crosses it on a bridge. Then SH 29A arrive at the signalised roundabout at Hairini, so traffic wishing to stay on the highway must turn either left or right depending on their direction of travel. It then travels straight across another signalised roundabout at Welcome Bay, before travelling through four roundabouts within 5 km, eventually terminating with SH 29.

Future

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During 2010 and 2011, NZTA investigated the possibility of realigning the section of SH 29 between Soldiers Road and Ngamuwahine Road, in order to improve safety. If constructed, the alignment is estimated to cost around $6 million.

Between 2010 and 2012, NZTA investigated the possibility of improving SH 29 between Omanawa Road and the SH 36/Route K roundabout. Three options were investigated. All of them involve turning that section of road into a limited access highway with grade separated junctions. A number of reasons were given by the NZTA for why improvements were needed. These included the high crash rate, high traffic volumes, and concerns over ground stability.[12]

Major junctions

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Territorial authorityLocationkmmiExitNameDestinationsNotes
Tauranga CityTauranga South00.0 SH 2 north (Takitimu Drive) – City Centre, Mount Maunganui, WhakatāneSH 29 begins
The Lakes148.7 SH 29A – Greerton, Mount Maunganui
SH 36 – Rotorua
Western Bay of PlentyLower Kaimai2415McLarens Falls Road
Matamata-PiakoTe Poi4226 SH 28 – Rotorua, Putāruru
4327 SH 24 – Matamata
Hinuera5434 SH 27 south – Tīrau, RotoruaStaggered intersection
SH 27 north – Matamata, Coromandel PeninsulaStaggered intersection
Piarere6742 SH 1 south – Rotorua, Taupō
SH 1 north – Cambridge, Hamilton		SH 29 ends

SH 29A

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The entire route is within Tauranga City.

LocationkmmiExitNameDestinationsNotes
Te Maunga00.0 SH 2 east (Tauranga Eastern Link) – Rotorua, Whakatāne
SH 2 west (Maunganui Road) – Mount Maunganui, Tauranga		SH 29A begins
0.20.12Truman Lane – Baypark Stadium
Maungatapu53.1Maungatapu Road – MaungatapuEastbound entrance only
63.7Taipari Street – MaungatapuWestbound exit only
74.3Turret Road – City Centre
Maungatapu Road – Maungatapu		Formerly SH 2A
Hairini85.0Hairini Street – City Centre, Hairini
Welcome Bay Road – Welcome Bay, Ohauiti
Ohauiti106.2Poike Road (east) – Ohauiti
Poike Road (west) – Polytech, Windermere
Greerton116.8Oropi Road (north) – Greerton, City Centre
Oropi Road (south) – Oropi
Barkes Corner127.5Cameron Road – Greerton, Racecourse, City Centre
Pyes Pa Road – Pyes Pa
Marshall Avenue
The Lakes148.7 SH 29 north (Takitimu Drive/ Route K) – City Centre, Port ()
SH 29 west – Hamilton, Auckland
SH 36 – Rotorua		SH 29A ends

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Where the toll roads are". NZTA.govt.nz.
  2. ^ "2. – Waikato region – Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand".
  3. ^ "The Kaimai Track". New Zealand Herald. Vol. XXXI, no. 9524. 30 May 1894. p. 6.
  4. ^ "Papers Past — Bay of Plenty Times — 18 July 1906 — Bay of Plenty Times WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 1906. THE KAIMAI ROAD". Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Papers Past — Bay of Plenty Times — 9 December 1912 — TAURANGA TO CAMBRIDGE". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  6. ^ "Over The Kaimai". Auckland Star. Vol. LIX, no. 55. 6 March 1928. p. 15.
  7. ^ "Papers Past — Bay of Plenty Beacon — 7 August 1939 — KAIMAI ROAD". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  8. ^ Street Map of Tauranga (Map) (3rd ed.). 1 in 20,000. Departments of Land and Survey, New Zealand. 1986.
  9. ^ "SH2/29 Hairini & Maungatapu roundabout signalisation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  10. ^ "JCT Consultancy :: Home" (PDF).
  11. ^ "New electronic toll for Tauranga's Route K". NZHerald.co.nz.
  12. ^ "SH29 Tauriko upgrade". NZTA.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
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