Tauranga City Council is urging motorists to avoid all unnecessary travel tomorrow and Tuesday and work from home, ride share or use alternative transport if they can.

In a written statement, the council said it was expecting “major traffic delays and severe congestion” tomorrow and Tuesday after the unexpected closure of a section of State Highway 29A near Ōropi for emergency work, combined with an unavoidable lane closure on Totara St in Mount Maunganui.

The closure of SH29A between Barkes Corner and Oropi Rd roundabout followed the discovery of a “large cavity” under the road.

Unfortunately, Totara St cannot be opened to two lanes due to partially completed road rebuilding work, the council said.

Both of these areas were major aerial routes in and out of Mount Maunganui.

The council was doing all it could to help the situation, including opening the eastbound Hewletts Rd bus lane for all vehicles going toward Maunganui Rd, it said.

This repair work was expected to be completed by 6am on Wednesday, with the contractors “working around the clock” to finish as quickly as possible.

The council said until the investigations reveal the full extent of the repair, the timeframe for re-opening SH29A near Oropi was “unknown at this stage.

“Detours are in place for both roads, but the council strongly urges motorists to delay unnecessary travel, use alternative transport, or work from home until Wednesday if possible.”

The council said it wanted to thank the community for their patience and understanding while work was underway to repair both roads.