Mana whenua, Elected Members, school students and members of the local community gathered early this morning (Monday 9 December) to celebrate the opening of a new section of Borman Road in Rototuna.

After a nearly two-year construction, the road provides a critical connection between Horsham Downs Road and Borman Road West, near Rototuna High Schools and the Rototuna Village.

Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate said this is the final piece of the puzzle that will provide the Rototuna community and north-Hamilton with safe and accessible travel connections and choices.

“Our city is growing fast, so it is important to invest in key transport infrastructure that makes Hamilton easy to get around safely and quickly. I am delighted the Rototuna community now have safe roads for cars and public transport, paths for pedestrians, people on bikes and scooters, and safe places for people to cross the road.

“One of the important reasons for this project has always been to connect Horsham Downs with the many schools in the area who have high numbers of kids walking and cycling. It is fantastic that students can now use the shared paths to get to school safely.”

Hamilton City Council’s $22.23 million project was co-funded by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. It included upgrades to the existing Borman Road East and Horsham Downs Road to make them more suitable for a city environment, shared paths, and new signalised intersection. Three waters pipes have also been upgraded and Council worked alongside developers to provide safe connections to their developments and futureproof the roads for the around 2000 more homes still to be built in Rototuna.

Mayor Southgate acknowledged that it has been a very challenging for the local businesses during construction and she thanked them for their patience.

“Road works are never easy for anyone, and I know this one is particularly challenging for the shops and businesses in Horsham Village. I thank them for their patience and working with us to reduce the disruptions. I am pleased that the road will now benefit them and their customers. It is a fantastic retail area and community hub which can now thrive.”

The road has been designated since 2004 and its design supports Council’s Vision Zero goal – to have zero deaths and zero serious injuries on our roads – and the Biking and Micromobility Plan, which aims to make it more convenient for Hamiltonians to choose active modes of transport to get around our city.

Council staff and contractors will now do the final safety checks before the road officially opens to vehicles as soon as possible.

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