New Roundabout at SH2/Wainui Road Boosts Safety and Traffic Flow Near Ōpōtiki

Transport Minister Chris Bishop has welcomed completion of a new roundabout at the intersection of State Highway 2 (SH2) and Wainui Road near Ōpōtiki, making this key corridor significantly safer and more efficient for vehicles and freight.

There were nine crashes at the intersection of SH2/Wainui Road between 2014 and 2023, three of them were injury crashes, one of which was serious. Delivering safe roading infrastructure is a priority for the Government, and I’m pleased the new roundabout is now completed, Mr Bishop says.

Carrying around 5,000 vehicles per day, with 15 per cent of that heavy vehicles, SH2 is a main route for locals, tourists and freight travelling between Tauranga and Gisborne. This new roundabout delivers a practical safety solution to a high-risk intersection that has seen too many preventable crashes.

There is more work to do to improve safety on this important corridor. With the new roundabout at SH2/Wainui Road finished we are in the home stretch of completing the wider SH2 Wainui to Opotiki safety improvement project.

In May 2025, around $10 million in funding was confirmed to deliver two new tear-drop roundabouts at high-risk intersections either side of Waiōtahe River Bridge. Construction started in January 2026 and and is expected to be completed in April 2027.

Once finished, these roundabouts will complete the overall safety improvement project at a cost of around $37.5 million. In addition to the roundabouts, safety upgrades included road widening, new side barriers, and improved line marking.

I want to thank local communities and road users for their continued patience while these safety upgrades are being finished, and the strong advocacy of local MP Dana Kirkpatrick. The new roundabout at SH2/Wainui Road will provide a much safer connection and I look forward to the two remaining roundabouts either side of Waiotahe River Bridge being completed as soon as possible.

Notes to editor: At a cost of around $10 million, construction of the SH2/Wainui Road roundabout began in April 2025, taking 12 months to complete. The work was carefully staged to keep traffic moving and maintain access for residents and businesses.

Previous statement on funding and delivery of new roundabout at SH2/Wainui Road is here: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-state-highway-2-roundabout-improve-road-safety-eastern-bay-plenty Previous statement on funding and delivery of two new tear-drop roundabouts either side of the Waiotahe River Bridge is here: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/funding-approved-two-new-roundabouts-sh2-near-%C5%8Dp%C5%8Dtiki-improve-road-safety