Rotorua District Council in New Zealand has finalised its preferred route for the Rotorua Eastern Arterial project, another step in moving the project forward. The council has selected New Zealand Transport Agency’s Option 3, as the designated option for a new eastern arterial to relieve traffic congestion from the existing State Highway 30 along Te Ngae Road.The agency has submitted three separate options for the project that could cost up to $90 million and this option is identified to have the least impact on the people in the Ngapuna area.
The council, however said that NZTA would also ensure there was suitable mitigation of cultural and geothermal features in the Ngapuna area of the route.The project involves building a new highway route to reduce congestion and improve freight links between the Sala St Intersection with Amohau St and the Rotorua International Airport.
This phase of work will involve geotechnical work, survey and preliminary design and will also review land requirements and impacts onto the eastern suburbs.The eastern arterial is considered to be critical for the district’s future economic development, and essential for people using Rotorua International Airport, for access to the Port of Tauranga and for timber processing at places like Kawerau.