30 Jul 2010 8:40 a.m.
Focus Te Puke says it's great news a quicker commute between the Eastern and Western Bays, has been
fast-tracked.
The Transport Minister says construction on the Tauranga Eastern Link will begin in February.
Tolling will be used to pay for the 455 million dollar four-lane highway from Paengaroa to Te Maunga.
It will cut nearly 24 minutes from travel times, and should be open by 2016.
Focus Te Puke Chairwoman Karyl Gunn says it's a great thing for the town.
She says it's a double-edged sword, as Te Puke has over 20,000 vehicles a day travelling through the main street.
She anticipates the Eastern link is going to help take out the trucks, but still maintain a lot of that through-traffic with the cars.