Firms fuming at traffic diversion

A group of business owners are fuming that their driveway will become a through road for traffic for a day without them even being told.

Part of Cross Rd in Tauranga's Sulphur Point will be closed tomorrow so repairs can be made to the rail crossing.

Traffic will be directed to cross further down the rail tracks, go through a storage yard and down an accessway shared by a group of businesses to get back on to Cross Rd.

The Boat Place owner Rhys Hunter only found out on Wednesday when contractors told him to move his boats from the storage area he leases so the temporary thoroughfare could be set up.

He has had to call on the good will of neighbouring businesses to help him store the boats elsewhere for the weekend.

"I'm amazed no one's made contact. It's really upsetting that someone could do something like this and the public's left completely out of the loop," he said.

Mr Hunter expected he and other business owners would have been consulted or at least given adequate warning before it occurred.

"We're open Saturday so it will limit access for any potential customers for us and obviously people picking their boats up. It's going to be very inconvenient because there's likely going to be a stream of traffic," Mr Hunter said.

The diversion would make it impossible for boaties with large boats to get down to the ramp, he said.

Cross Rd is the only access to the boat ramps, the dry dock, the Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club and some of the Sulphur Point cafes.

"There's so many businesses down the road that are going to be affected and no one's been notified," Mr Hunter said.

Sulphur Point Automotive owner Gregg Scrivens is breathing a sigh of relief that he will not be open tomorrow.

"Saturday is usually my day when people come in that can't come in during the week," he said. "Just a heads up would have been good. I feel bad for the boaties because the weather's supposed to be nice this weekend."

KiwiRail communications adviser Jenni Austin said the upgrade work had been planned for some time.

The concrete slab the rails are set in will be replaced.

Work will start at 8am and should be finished by 6pm, however the work is weather dependent.

Tauranga City Council communication adviser Meagan Holmes said KiwiRail had been working with businesses to gain their permission.

"People will still be able to access the boat ramps at Sulphur Point," she said.