Plans are now in hand in New Zealand for a series of road projects in Tauranga. The New Zealand Government of has plans to spend some US$356.36 million (NZ$520 million) on a number of high priority road projects in Tauranga. This funding will include spending on a series of general safety improvements, construction of the Tauranga Northern Link (TNL) highway and a further sum for the future extension of the TNL. Works on the safety upgrades and the construction of the TNL are to begin in 2016 and 2018, respectively. The planned work will include improvements to State Highway 2 (SH2), which connects Waihi and Tauranga via the new 6.8km TNL that will link SH2 Te Puna and Takitimu Drive Toll Road in Tauranga. The safety upgrades will be carried out along the Waihi-Te Puna section of the SH2.