Road works and closures Nga mahi rori me nga katinga

We’re making some changes to Morrinsville Road to make the road safer, easier to maintain and to provide better travel options. 

Section 1 (Matangi Road to Waikato Expressway):

• The peanut shaped roundabout, new signalised pedestrian crossing, and most of the wide shared paths are now open. 
• The shared path on the northern side of Morrinsville Road between East Ridge Grove and the Waikato Expressway is being constructed from June to August 2026. 

Section 2 (Cambridge Road to southwest of Matangi Road)

• Construction of the shared paths, cycle lanes, safe raised side road crossings, and improvements to the existing signalised pedestrian crossing are underway. Works are planned for completion late June 2026 (weather dependant).

Find out more 

From March to June 2026, we’re making a series of improvements along Ulster Street and Maeroa Road to enhance safety and accessibility. This work includes installing new traffic signals at the Ulster Street/Maeroa Road intersection and permanently closing the Maeroa Road east entrance (left turn out will remain open). We’ll also be renewing the footpath, kerb, and channel along Ulster Street.

Current stage and timeframe
Due to recent bad weather, the start of these works has been delayed. Construction is now expected to begin on Monday 30 March.

We will start by upgrading the footpath, kerb, and channel on the eastern (river) side of Ulster Street, before moving to the intersection. During this stage, work will take place Monday to Friday, between 7am - 6pm.

Lane closure
One city-bound traffic lane will be closed from 6am each weekday, but traffic will still be able to travel in both directions. Please expect delays and allow extra time for your journey.

Find out more here.

Changes are coming to Wairere Drive from Thursday 30 April as part of resource consent requirements to enable the build of a new PAK'nSAVE on Karewa Place, including an intersection upgrade and a speed limit reduction. 

• The speed limit will drop from 80km/h to 60km/h on Wairere Drive between Pukete Road and Arthur Porter Drive form Thursday 30 April 2026.
• Foodstuffs North Island are installing traffic lights at the intersection of Karewa Place and Wairere Dirve to allow a right turn into (but not out of) Karewa Place from Wairere Drive from Monday 11 May 2026. 

We will update this page with expected traffic management impacts during construction, but please expect slower speeds and delays.

When looking at the various transport impacts a new supermarket would create, an independent commissioner found that traffic signals were necessary at the intersection of Wairere Drive and Karewa Place. They also required a roundabout to be constructed at the intersection of Eagle Way and Karewa Place.
To make sure the new signalised intersection is safe for drivers, the speed limit on Wairere Drive between Pukete Road and Arthur Porter Drive also needed to be lowered.

Construction work is carried out and funded by Foodstuffs NZ, and is a requirement under their resource consent to build a new PAK’nSAVE on Karewa Place. Construction on the supermarket is expected to begin in 2027. For more information, see our media release. 

FAQs:

Why is the speed limit being reduced before the PAK’nSAVE is built?
The speed limit must be lowered now because it’s a condition of the PAK’nSAVE resource consent. The independent commissioner ruled that the new traffic lights at Karewa Place can only operate safely with a lower speed limit, so the change must happen before construction begins.
The independent commissioner considered the proposed development of PAK’nSAVE Te Rapa and worked with traffic experts representing Hamilton City, Foodstuffs and Tainui Group Holdings (The Base) to agree on key changes that would be needed for the adjacent network to work safely.
Construction of the supermarket is not allowed to commence until various requirements are met which included a lowered speed limit in Wairere Drive in conjunction with the new traffic lights at the Karewa intersection.

Why does the speed limit reduction apply to the whole stretch of Wairere Drive?
National rules require a 60km/h speed zone to be at least 500 metres long, so it must extend beyond just the intersection area. Reducing speed to Arthur Porter Drive reduces the number of speed limit changes along Wairere Drive. This was outlined in the public consultation with 64% of submitters supporting the speed limit change. You can read more about it here.

Impact on drivers
Traffic already travels around 62–68km/h, so the change has very little impact, and it allows the new traffic lights for the supermarket to be installed safely.

Why are traffic lights being added?
An independent commissioner determined traffic lights are the safest way to manage increased turning movements. These are funded by Foodstuffs, not ratepayers.

Why another supermarket?
The purchase and development of land, including the location, is a Foodstuffs decision, not Council’s. The site and supermarket proposal was assessed through the resource consent process. The independent commissioner approved the site with required upgrades to keep the network operating safely.
The northwest is one of Hamilton’s fastest growing areas, with around 80,000 people already living nearby and significant future growth planned in Rotokauri and Te Rapa North. The supermarket will support this growth, provide more choice in a high demand area, and create around 150 local jobs.

Consultation matters
Over 1,100 submissions were received on the speed limit change, with 64% in support. The intersection changes were already required under the resource consent, so they were not part of the consultation.

Regarding the independent commissioner
The commissioner is an accredited, independent decision maker appointed to assess the supermarket’s resource consent. Their job is to apply planning law, not represent Council or the developer, and they’re accountable under the Resource Management Act and professional accreditation standards.

What’s not included? 
Other concerns (like bridge bottlenecks or parking issues) are separate from the supermarket consent and would require separate funding and planning. To help our team clearly understand what issues people are experiencing and where, it’s important they’re reported.  You can do this via the Antenno app, online at www.hamilton.govt.nz/report-it or by emailing info@hcc.govt.nz.