History
The original bridge was opened on the 13 March 1988. Prior to the opening of the bridge, traffic wishing to travel between Tauranga and Mount Maunganui had to use the Hairini and Maungatapu bridges. The Tauranga Harbour Bridge was tolled from opening until the 22nd July 2001. The tollbooths were on the Mount Maunganui side of the bridge. As the population of Tauranga grew, the bridge began to get very congested during the peak hours.
As part of the Harbour Link project (which also included the construction of the Chapel Street Viaduct, the widening of Hewletts Road, and the construction of the Hewletts Road Flyover), a new bridge was constructed next to the original. On 7 September 2009, the new bridge opened. The original bridge now carries traffic towards Tauranga; the new bridge carries traffic towards Mount Maunganui.
Read more about this topic: Tauranga Harbour Bridge
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