Monthly Archives: December 2021

Silent nights on state highways this holiday break

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Not a state highway work site was stirring, to help curb holiday driver frustration
Some cones and temporary speed limits remained, positioned with care,
To help everyone travel safely, from here to there.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency work sites will close from 23 December to 5 January to leave the roads clear for holiday traffic, but there may still be temporary speed limits and road cones at some work sites or where there has been recent road resurfacing.

Waka Kotahi Director of Regional Relationships David Speirs says Waka Kotahi and its contractors stop most work before busy holiday travel periods like Christmas and New Year’s, to minimise disruption to people’s journeys.

“Always take care when driving through road work sites and follow the temporary speed restrictions to ensure everyone stays safe on our roads.

“Traffic management, such as temporary speed limits, signs and cones, is used to alert road users to a change in the road conditions or to works ahead, so look out for the signs and please take care in the run up to Christmas and during the holiday period,” Mr Speirs says.

“There will be some holiday congestion and delays, and we all need to factor that into our plans. Trying to ‘make up lost time’ by speeding and unsafe overtaking puts everyone using the road at risk.”

With Auckland’s regional boundary recently reopening, the Christmas-New Year holiday period is expected to be a very busy time on Waikato and Bay of Plenty roads.

Some of the key work sites where traffic management will remain in place over the holiday break include:

  • Hamilton section, Waikato Expressway: 50km/h temporary speed limit where the Hamilton section joins the existing SH1 at Tamahere. Also speed restrictions and traffic on single lanes in both directions where Hamilton section joins Ngaruawahia section.
  • State Highway 2 Maramarua passing lane closures: Passing lanes at Maramarua on SH2 will be closed for safety reasons from 23-24 December and 27-28 December eastbound (heading toward the Coromandel) and on Tuesday 4, Thursday 6, Friday 7 and Sunday 9 January 2022 westbound (heading toward Auckland). For more information visit:
    SH2 Maramarua passing lane closures for 2021/22 holiday period
  • SH2 Karangahake Gorge: The speed limit on SH2 through the Karangahake Gorge will be reduced from 80km/h to 50km/h between Crown Hill Road and School Road from Monday 20 December through until late January, when holiday traffic subsides.
  • State Highway 39 Mangaotama Stream bridge and State Highway 30 Kopaki rail overbridge: New weight restrictions are in place.
    Weight restrictions ahead for two west Waikato bridges
  • State Highway 25 Pepe Stream bridge: Traffic management in place to help manage congestion during peak holiday travel times.
  • State Highway 25 Boundary Creek bridge: Reduced to one lane with a 50km/h speed limit to extend its useful life. For more information visit:
    SH25 Boundary Creek bridge to be reduced to one lane
  • SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa: Temporary speed limits, shoulder closures, barriers and cones will be in place at various sites within the project corridor.
  • SH2 Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki: Possible 70km/h temporary speed limit between the SH2 / Wainui Road Intersection and Rankin Road.
  • State Highway 30, Sala Street to Iles Road: Works on the SH30 Eastern Corridor – Stage One project are expected to be complete before the Christmas shutdown on 23 December, which includes removal of all traffic management.
  • State Highway 5, Tarukenga to Ngongotahā: The upgrade of the SH5/State Highway 36 Ngongotahā roundabout is scheduled to be completed before Christmas, while other safety improvement works will wind up on 23 December. There will be minimal traffic management in place over the Christmas/New Year break.
  • State Highway 33, Te Ngae Junction to Paengaroa: 70km/h temporary speed limit either side of the area known as the Pareteiro – Sun Valley Curves.

Mr Speirs thanks motorists for their patience when traveling over the Christmas-New Year holiday break and wishes people a relaxing time with family and friends.

“Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.”

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:

Flooding closes SH35 between Ōpōtiki and Waihau Bay – update 16 December

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Update 16 December @ 5:00pm

The road between Ōpōtiki and Te Kaha is now open, with traffic management in place at various locations.

The road is still closed at Te Kaha on the Bay of Plenty side and between Lottin Point Road and Pohutu Road on the Gisborne side.

We will have Geotech engineers on site tomorrow morning to inspect the various slip sites and expect to be able to provide a further update tomorrow afternoon.

In the meantime, motorists are asked to avoid unnecessary travel in the area. Those who do need to travel are advised to take extra care, stay alert – especially for unreported hazards – and drive to the conditions.

Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience.

The road is also closed further east between Lottin Point Road and Pohutu Road on the Gisborne side of the East Cape due to flooding, isolating communities between the two closure points.

The detour rote via State Highway 2 will add considerable time to journeys and motorists are asked to delay their travel, where possible. Those who do need to travel are advised to take extra care, stay alert – especially for unreported hazards – and drive to the conditions.

Updates will be posted on the Waka Kotahi social media pages and on our Journey Planner website (see links below).

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:

SH59 and Paekakariki Hill Road closed due to slips, fallen trees – 5:00pm update

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Update 16 December @ 5:00pm

SH59 Pukerua Bay is open to one lane only, under stop/go traffic control. Please expect significant delays as congestion eases while slip clearing continues – it may take several hours for current queues to clear.

Update 16 December @ 4:00pm

Both SH59 Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki Hill Road remain closed and there is no detour available, with Akatarawa Road only open to residents.

Contractors are still on-site cleaning the area and it is not yet known when the roads will be able to be reopened. It is likely that when SH59 does open, it will only be open to one lane at first so it is expected that congestion will take some time to clear as it is already very heavy in the area. We expect that congestion will remain heavy through peak traffic hours and continue to advise motorists to avoid travelling in this area and delay their journey.

Update 16 December @ 3:00pm

Both SH59 Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki Hill Road remain closed. Congestion remains heavy and there is no detour available. Motorists are advised to avoid travelling in this area and delay their journey as contractors are still on-site cleaning the area and the roads are not expected to reopen anytime soon.

Heavy rain in recent days has made the hills along SH59 unstable, with slips and debris falling onto the highway in multiple locations.

Paekakariki Hill Road is also closed due to fallen trees.

It is not yet known how long either road is expected to remain closed, but it could be a number of hours before they are cleared and safe to open.

Contractors are currently onsite clearing the area, but due to the instability of the surrounding environment and continued wet weather, there may be further incidents of slips, debris and fallen trees.

Waka Kotahi is monitoring the situation closely and will open the roads when they are clear and safe for motorists.

Updates will be posted on the Waka Kotahi Facebook, Twitter and Journey Planner pages (see links below).

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:

SH2 Waioeka Gorge bridge strengthening underway in January 2022

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Omaukora Bridge, Gibson’s Bridge, Sandys Bridge and Owhiritoa Stream Bridge are all being strengthened as part of the SH2 Waioeka Gorge High Productivity Motor Vehicle bridge strengthening project. Omoko Bridge and Aro Aro Bridge were strengthened in 2021 and 2019/20 respectively.

It is not expected that this work will require any road closures, however motorists are advised to be aware and take extra care while the work is underway.

There will be some periods during construction when overweight vehicles with a ‘crawl central’ crossing restriction will not be able to travel over the bridges. Waka Kotahi has notified freight companies and advised when they can expect to be affected by this.

In the event of bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances, including impacts from ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, some bridge strengthening work may be postponed until next summer 2022/2023.

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:

Upcoming closure of Kay Road

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From 10 January 2022, Kay Road will be closed to enable construction of Resolution Drive, which is being extended from Borman Road to link with the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advises. 

Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery Jo Wilton says when the expressway opens to traffic around the middle of next year, the eastern side of Kay Road will join Resolution Drive Extension with a left-in and left-out configuration. The western side of Kay Road will remain permanently closed near Tennille Street. 

“The western side will keep the name Kay Road while the eastern side from Resolution Drive to Horsham Downs Road will be called Ennion Rise.” 

During construction vehicle access will be maintained for a small number of Kay Road properties inside the closure zone. 

The extension of Resolution Drive provides a key city connection to and from the Resolution Interchange. It is being built for Hamilton City Council by CityEdge Alliance, which is delivering the 22km Hamilton section of the expressway. 

An underpass will allow pedestrians and cyclists to go under Resolution Drive near Tennille Street, while shared paths are being built out to the interchange. 

A link road from the interchange to Horsham Downs Road is being built separately by Waikato District Council.

For more information on the Kay Road closure, visit www.hamilton.govt.nz/kayroadintersection

Kay Road Closure map

Download Kay Road map

Safer speeds for Karangahake Gorge this summer

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Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says the short-term reduction from the normal 80km/h speed limit is being put in place to ensure the safety of motorists, as well as people walking and cycling through the popular Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway area during the busy summer holiday period and will remain in place over the Christmas/New Year break, when holiday traffic is at its peak.

The reduced speed limit area covers the State Highway 2/Crown Hill Road intersection, as well as access to the Karangahake Reserve, close to starting points for popular walks in the area.  Slower speeds through this area will help provide road users time to recognise and react to the environment.

Earlier this year, Waka Kotahi engaged with local communities on speed limits through the Karangahake Gorge. A majority of the community feedback was in favour of speed reductions for the safety of all users. A formal consultation on speed reductions on State Highway 2 from Mangatarata to Katikati (including Karangahake Gorge) will take place in 2022.

With the summer holiday period approaching Waka Kotahi reminds road users to plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable summer journey using our holiday and real time journey planner tools.  With increased traffic volumes it is important to drive to the conditions, allow plenty of time and take regular breaks to stay alert.

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:

SH27 south of Matamata detoured 10 January to 14 April 2022

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The Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency project to replace the bridge and realign a section of State Highway 27 approximately seven kilometres south of Matamata is progressing well, and the detour is required to ensure the new sections of road can be safely joined to the existing state highway.

Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery Jo Wilton says the new road is 1.4 metres lower than the existing road at the northern end, so approximately 200 metres of the highway has to be cut down and rebuilt to link to the new bridge approaches.

“We realise any detour is inconvenient for road users, however by doing this we will be able to complete the project and open as soon as the new bridge is complete. This is expected to be about five months ahead of schedule,” Ms Wilton says.

While the highway is closed, traffic will be detoured along State Highway 29, Hopkins Road and Hinuera Road, adding around 3.7 kilometres to a journey between Tirau and Matamata.

Three months has been allowed for the closure to ensure the work can be complete and properly sealed by early April when the new bridge is forecast to be complete.

When State Highway 27 reopens in April, traffic will be running over the new bridge, with the project fully complete around the middle of 2022.

The Mangawhero Stream bridge is being replaced because of its high crash rate, with contributing factors the narrowness of the bridge and the unexpected dips and curves in the road leading up to it.

SH27 Detour map

Download SH27 detour map

Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience.

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:

SH2 Maramarua passing lane closures for 2021/22 holiday period

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SH2 is the main highway connection between Auckland and the Coromandel and Tauranga.

Waikato System Manager Cara Lauder says the closures will make the road safer for all road users in heavy traffic by maintaining a steady flow and preventing crashes as traffic merges at the end of the passing lane.

For eastbound traffic, the three passing lanes on SH2 near Mangatawhiri Road, Kopuku Road and Heaven’s Rest will be closed:

  • Thursday 23 December 6am to 8pm
  • Friday 24 December 6am to 8pm
  • Monday 27 December 6am to 8pm
  • Tuesday 28 December 6am to 8pm

For westbound traffic, the two passing lanes near Heaven’s Rest and the Maramarua Golf Club will be closed:

  • Tuesday 4 January 6am to 8pm
  • Thursday 6 January 6am to 8pm
  • Friday 7 January 6am to 8pm
  • Sunday 9 January 6am to 8pm

Crews will be on-site setting up for the passing lane closures from 4am and access to the passing lanes may be limited during this time. Motorists are asked to be patient and drive with care.

“Slightly longer queues can be expected when the passing lanes are closed but we expect minimal impact to overall travel times. We ask drivers to be patient and allow extra time for their journeys, so everyone gets where they’re going safely,” says Ms Lauder.

Reopening of the passing lanes and ramps will depend on the traffic flow. If traffic remains heavy, the closures will remain in place for longer.

Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience.

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:

SH2 Waihī to Tauranga works for week beginning Monday 20 December

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Bay of Plenty System Manager Roger Brady says we’re coming to the end of what has been a long and difficult year for many, and we all deserve a safe and relaxing holiday.

“Deaths and serious injuries on our roads are not inevitable, and we shouldn’t accept that serious crashes are just another part of the holidays. We’re all human and we can all make mistakes, but every one of us also has the power to make decisions which will help keep the roads safer for everyone,” says Mr Brady.

“With more cars expected on SH2, there is naturally more risk, so it’s more important than ever that people take care when they’re driving so everyone arrives where they’re going safely.

“We all need to do the simple things to keep safe on the road. That means driving to the conditions, watching your following distance and keeping your speed down. It also means resting before you set off on your journey and sharing the driving if you can.

“Please plan your journey in advance, visit Journey Planner for travel times and allow plenty of extra time to get to your holiday destinations,” says Mr Brady.

“To minimise delays non-essential road works on our highways will be paused from this Wednesday 23 December to 5 January. But even with this non-essential work paused, SH2 will be very busy.

“It’s not a race. You’re on holiday, so take your time, and be courteous to other drivers. Everybody is just trying to get where they’re going safely,” says Mr Brady.

Visit journeys.nzta.govt.nz before you head off for the latest information on road works, road closures and delays.

This is what you can expect to see on SH2 between Waihī and Tauranga this week:

Overnight asphalt works, Monday 20 December

Overnight asphalt works will be undertaken on SH2 at Te Puna in both directions between Clarke Road and Te Puna Road on Monday 20 December. Stop/Go traffic management with a 30km/h temporary speed limit in place during the works, which will be carried out between 8pm and 5am (Tuesday). This work was rescheduled from earlier this month due to wet weather.

Waihī to Ōmokoroa safety improvements project – week commencing 20 December

  • Athenree Road to Tanners Point Road – road widening works continue throughout the week. Expect minor delays of one to two minutes.
  • Tanners Point Road to Kauri Point Road – final watermain relocation connections and tidy up are underway. Expect minor delays of one to two minutes. 
  • Rea Road / Tetley Road intersection – roundabout preparation works are ongoing. Expect minor delays of about five minutes, particularly on the side roads.
  • Lund Road to Aongatete Road – road widening, earthworks, drainage and service relocation works between Lund Road and Aongatete Road continue with a focus on the Wright Road intersection. Expect minor delays of one to two minutes.

Note: From Thursday 23 December we will be reducing the amount of temporary traffic management ahead of the Christmas-New Year holiday period. Temporary speed limits will remain in place with shoulder closures and road cones at various sites within the project length.  

What to expect between Monday 27 December and Sunday January 9

  • Athenree Road to Tanners Point Road – No activities on site but temporary speed limits will remain in place with shoulder closures and road cones Expect minor delays of one to two minutes.  
  • Rea Road / Tetley Road intersection – No activities on site but watch for shoulder closures and road cones.
  • Lund Road to Aongatete Road – No activities on site but watch for shoulder closures and road cones.

Takitimu North Link preparation works (these works are expected to continue from 10 January)

  • Wairoa Road (off SH2) – near Oliver Road, southbound shoulder closure in place, not anticipated to impact traffic.
  • Harrison Road (off Cambridge Road) – shoulder closure in place while archaeological investigations take place. No delays anticipated.
  • Cambridge/Moffat Road – shoulder closure in place while surveying works take place. No delays anticipated.
  • Richard Way (off Cambridge Road) – now closed to the general public, authorised access only.
  • Cambridge Road – Stop/Go for tree felling along this area near 310 Cambridge Road. Closures only in effect when necessary.

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:

Serious Crash, SH2, Te Hauke, Hastings

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District:

Eastern

Police and emergency services are in attendance at a serious crash on SH 2 in Te Hauke, Hastings.

The crash happened around 2.30pm today and two people are reported to be in a serious condition.

Motorists are advised that diversions are expected to remain in place until after 6.30pm today. Motorists are asked to exercise caution and to avoid the area if possible.

The Serious Crash Unit will examine the scene and an investigation will commence in to the crash.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre