Te Puke residents are frustrated and feeling unheard about the partial closure of No. 1 Road.
The first part of the road will be one way with entry only from Te Puke Highway for at least five weeks from late February, while mains pipes are laid for the Waiari Water Supply Scheme.
Andy Wichers lives in the first section of No. 1 Road and says residents on the road and surrounding areas will be badly affected because all the traffic will be funneled onto No. 2 Road and Boucher Ave.
There are about 80 vehicles from the residences in the 300 metres of No. 1 that will be closed and numerous vehicles travel to Trevelyan's Pack and Cool further down road, says Andy.
He is also concerned about increased traffic around Fairhaven School on Boucher Ave because it's 'already a nightmare” during school drop off.
Residents in the affected area were notified of the closure six days before Christmas which has given them little time to consult with each other and find a better solution, he says.
Only those immediately affected were told and so many others aren't aware of the details or impact it will have and those affected feel there has been no consultation with them, says Andy.
'It's Tauranga City Council coming in here and dictating how it's going to be without getting any buy-in from the locals.”
If council had involved them from the start even if the outcome was the same people wouldn't be so angry, he says.
Andy has formed the Facebook group No2 No1 Road Closure with three others and they hosted a meeting with Tauranga City Council representatives on Wednesday Night.
Council water services manager Peter Bahrs says timing of the notification was chosen with residents in mind and they communicated as soon as there was certainty over the required approach.
'Waiting until after the holidays would not have left much time to find solutions for people experiencing issues from the lane closure.”
He says because it is a highly complex and technical job, the potential impact on residents was always top of mind throughout the assessment of options.
The team of experts rigorously explored alternatives with the objective of finding a solution that would be the least impactful for residents, says Peter.
'The lane closure is not the solution we wanted, however it couldn't be avoided.”
The work and closure was meant to occur in early February but essential equipment has been delayed so the work is scheduled to take place between February 22 and March 22.