Monthly Archives: December 2021

SH30 Rotorua works for the week beginning Sunday 5 December

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Contractors will be following strict industry standards provided by Construction Health and Safety NZ (CHASNZ) to ensure the safety of workers and road users. People must maintain safe physical distancing of two metres when walking/cycling near the sites.

Some delays are expected at times, and motorists are advised to plan and allow extra time for their journeys. There may be an increase in people walking and cycling around the site, so please be careful when driving near them.

Work sites for the week starting Sunday 5 December:

  • State Highway 30, Te Ngae Road and Sala Street intersection: Contractors continue work to improve the shared path at the corner of Sala Street and SH30/Te Ngae Road. This will be done under an off-peak shoulder closure and may cause minor delays.
  • Tarawera Road: Contractors continue to reinstate the watermains. This work will require shoulder closures in both directions and is not expected to cause delays.
  • State Highway 30, Tarawera Road to Neil Hunt Park: Works continue to complete the landscaping and top soiling next to the shared path. This will require a shoulder closure and a lane shift on the eastern side of Tarawera Road, which may cause minor delays.
  • State Highway30, Marino Road: Contractors continue work on the shared path and seating area at the corner of Marino Road. This work will require eastbound off-peak lane closures, which may cause minor delays.
  • State Highway 30, Allen Mills Road to Iles Road: Contractors continue work on the shared path on the northern side of SH30/Te Ngae Road. This work requires eastbound lane closures during off-peak hours, which may cause moderate delays.

The installation of street lights and shared path work on the southern side of SH30/Te Ngae Road between Allen Mills Road to Iles Road continues. Access for people walking and cycling will be maintained with traffic management in place. This work will be done under westbound off-peak lane closures and may cause moderate delays.

  • State Highway 30, Tennyson Drive intersection: Contractors continue work to complete the raised safety platforms, installing traffic signs and landscaping at Tennyson Drive. This work will be done under a shoulder closure which may cause moderate delays.

Temporary speed limits of 30km/h or 50km/h are in place for everyone’s safety at the above work sites, including when workers are off-site.

All pedestrian crossings at the SH30/Te Ngae Road and Tarawera Road intersection are now open, providing safe crossing points. People walking and cycling are encouraged to use the signalised crossings at Sala Street, Iles Road, Marino Road and Tarawera Road.

Most of the shared path is now open and works are underway to complete the last sections of the shared path on the northern side of Te Ngae Road between Marino and Iles roads.

Access for people walking and cycling is maintained throughout the whole site.

In the event of bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances, work may be postponed.

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

Auckland overnight motorway closures 4 December – 11 December 2021

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Please note this Traffic Bulletin is updated every Friday.

Check daily updated closure information: www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/auckland

Unless otherwise stated, closures start at 9pm and finish at 5am.

NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)

  • Southbound lanes between Waiwera off-ramp and Silverdale on-ramp, 5-7 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Grand Drive southbound on-ramp, 5-7 December
  • Millwater southbound on-ramp, 5-7 December
  • Northbound lanes between Greville Road off-ramp and Oteha Valley Road on-ramp, 7-9 December
  • Greville Road northbound on-ramp, 7-9 December
  • Southbound lanes between Greville Road off-ramp and Upper Harbour Highway on-ramp, 4-5 December (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Greville Road southbound on-ramp, 4-5 December (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Upper Harbour Highway southbound off-ramp, 6-9 December (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Upper Harbour Highway southbound on-ramp, 7 December (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Curran Street northbound on-ramp, 5-9 December (approx. 9:30pm to 5:00am)

CENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (CMJ)

  • Nelson Street northbound off-ramp, 7-9 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Northbound lanes between Symonds Street off-ramp and Hobson Street on-ramp, 7-9 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • SH1 northbound to SH16 westbound link, 7-9 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)

SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)

  • Mt Wellington Highway southbound on-ramp, 8-9 December
  • East Tamaki Road northbound off-ramp, 7-9 December
  • Te Irirangi Drive northbound on-ramp, 8 December
  • Redoubt Road northbound on-ramp, 9 December
  • Southbound lanes between Redoubt Road off-ramp and Takanini on-ramp, 5 December
  • Redoubt Road southbound on-ramp, 5 December
  • Papakura northbound (loop) on-ramp, 8-9 December
  • Northbound lanes between Drury/SH22 off-ramp and Papakura on-ramp, 5-9 December
  • Drury/SH22 northbound on-ramp, 5-9 December

NORTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)

  • Southbound lanes between Northwestern Motorway roundabout and Hobsonville Road on-ramp, 7-9 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Northbound lanes between Hobsonville Road off-ramp and Northwestern Motorway roundabout, 7-9 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Eastbound lanes between Great North Road off-ramp and St Lukes Road on-ramp, 6 December (approx. 10:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Great North Road eastbound on-ramp, 6-9 December

UPPER HARBOUR MOTORWAY (SH18)

  • Eastbound lanes between Albany Highway off-ramp and Paul Matthews Road, 6 December (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Albany Highway eastbound on-ramp, 6 December (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)
  • Westbound lanes between Caribbean Drive and Albany Highway on-ramp, 6 December (approx. 8:00pm to 5:00am)

SOUTHWESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)

  • Northbound lanes between Maioro Street off-ramp and SH16 (Waterview northbound tunnel closed), 6 December
  • Maioro Street northbound on-ramp, 6 December
  • Mahunga Drive southbound off-ramp, 5-6 December
  • Southbound lanes between Lambie Drive off-ramp and SH1 links, 5 December
  • Lambie Drive southbound on-ramp, 5 December

GEORGE BOLT MEMORIAL DRIVE (SH20A)

  • None planned

PUHINUI ROAD (SH20B)

  • None planned

STATE HIGHWAY 22 (SH22)

  • None planned

STATE HIGHWAY 2 (SH2)

  • None planned

Please follow the signposted detours. Waka Kotahi thanks you for your co-operation during these essential improvements and maintenance.

Current overnight closure information 

Auckland roads and public transport

For more information please contact: Auckland System Management

Phone: 0800 444 449

Email: email hidden; JavaScript is required

Website: nzta.govt.nz/asm

Plan for delays on SH2 Waihī and Tauranga next week

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Bay of Plenty System Manager Roger Brady says despite a poor weather forecast for next week, contractors will be working hard to complete work at several sites during forecast ‘gaps’ in the weather at night.

“While the intent at this stage is absolutely to undertake this work next week, sometimes we need to postpone works, often at short notice, and usually due to weather.

“On the flipside, we often have to move quickly to make the most of fine weather spells or gaps in poor weather,” Mr Brady says.

“We understand people plan their journeys based on the information we provide and try to keep this as up-to-date as possible and to provide information as early as possible. However, things move very quickly and it’s not always possible to provide as much notice as we’d like.”

People can visit the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website Journey Planner or Waikato and Bay of Plenty Facebook page to be informed of any major updates.  

Journey Planner

Waikato/BOP Facebook

Mr Brady says motorists can expect delays of up to 45 minutes for 36 to 48 hours following the work.

“For at least 24 hours after the sites are sealed, and before being swept, they continue to operate under a reduced temporary speed limit while vehicles travel over the seal and help “bed in” the chip. This helps reduce the risk of windscreen damage. Sites are then swept, excess chip removed, and the temporary speed limit remains in place until line marking is reinstated (within 48 hours, weather dependent).”

“Those who can are encouraged to work from home and avoid unnecessary journeys to lessen the impact on those who need to travel.”

Night works will be completed at the below locations between 7pm and 5am under Stop/Go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit.

  • Sunday 5 December – between Old Tauranga Road and Mathers Road
  • Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 December – between Wainui South Road and Pahoia Road
  • Wednesday 8 December – between Kauri Point Road and Stokes Road
  • Thursday 9 December – between Willoughby Road and Philip Walter Drive, and between Barrett Road and Munro Road

These works are part of the Waka Kotahi road maintenance programme to repair and reseal state highways across the Bay of Plenty to ensure the safety and resilience of the transport network.

As highlighted above, in the event of bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances, work may be postponed.

Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience.

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

2022 Subaru WRX

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2022 Kia Stinger

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Removal of speed bumps on SH2 Waipawa taking place on Saturday

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The speed bumps were installed earlier this year to slow traffic travelling through the township while the FourSquare was undergoing demolition.

These were a temporary measure to ensure safety while the demolition was underway and are now causing damage to the surrounding road surface, which is creating a new safety risk for motorists.

The removal work will begin at 4am on Saturday, as this is a quieter time for traffic volumes, and is expected to take approximately five hours to complete. Contractors hope to be clear of the area before businesses open for Saturday trading.

It is not expected that there will be any significant delay to people traveling through Waipawa, however people who do intend to travel at this time are advised that there will be a road closure in place and traffic will be detoured through the adjoining streets.

Waka Kotahi is aware that some businesses in the township are concerned with speed and wish to see speed limits lowered and the speed bumps to remain in place.

As an interim measure, Waka Kotahi will look to re-locate the electronic Speed Indication Device sign. These signs are an effective means of highlighting travel speed. Regularly moving these signs helps to maintain impact and encourage people to be mindful of the speed they are travelling.

Waka Kotahi will continue to work with Central Hawke’s Bay District Council and local NZ Police to explore options to help improve safety and reduce speed of traffic travelling through the town so everyone who uses the road can get to where they’re going safely.

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

Upcoming overnight closures on toll road and Johnstones Hill Tunnel

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To carry out essential maintenance tasks, such as the repair of safety barriers and removal of hazardous trees, Waka Kotahi will be closing the southbound lanes including those through the Johnstone Hill Tunnel overnight between 9pm and 5am on Sunday December 5.

The northbound lanes between Pūhoi and Silverdale will then be closed the following weekend on December 12 between 9pm and 5am.

The detour route for both closures is along the Hibiscus Coast Highway between the Silverdale interchange and Pūhoi, however, Emergency Services will be accommodated at all times.

Please note this work is weather dependent and may be rescheduled.

Waka Kotahi thanks road users for their cooperation and understanding while we carry out this work.

Roads are for people – latest vehicle safety information to focus on all road users

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From today, safety ratings published on Rightcar will focus on the impact vehicles have on all people involved in crashes on New Zealand roads. This change will lead to a greater improvement in road safety and help to reduce the number of people who die or are seriously injured on our roads.

To standardise the way safety rating information is presented to the public, both Used Car Safety Ratings (UCSR) and Vehicle Safety Risk Ratings (VSRR) will be using Overall Safety as the headline, or primary, measure of safety. This measures the safety of a vehicle for not only its own occupants but also all road users involved in a crash, including people in other cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

The Overall Safety rating will also be used as the safety rating published on third party websites such as TradeMe.

Driver Safety ratings will continue to be published on Rightcar for both UCSR and VSRR ratings, so people can find out how well a vehicle will protect them in the event of a crash. Other Road User Safety will also be published to show the impact of a crash on occupants of other vehicles as well as cyclists and pedestrians.

“Improving safety on New Zealand roads is a top priority for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. Waka Kotahi is committed to Vision Zero, which aspires to a New Zealand where no-one is killed or seriously injured on our roads. Improving the safety of vehicles driven on our roads is a key part of our work to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads”, says Kane Patena, Director of Land Transport at Waka Kotahi.

“As we transition to a low carbon transport system, we also need to ensure that walking and cycling are safe travel options, so it’s crucial that vehicle safety ratings now focus on all people using our roads.”

Changes to the fuel economy and carbon emissions data published on Rightcar will also come into effect today, as New Zealand adopts a newer international vehicle fuel economy testing standard – the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Testing Procedure (WLTP).

The WLTP is a worldwide standard for testing fuel economy, CO2 emissions and electric vehicle (EV) range of passenger and light commercial vehicles. It is a standardised laboratory test based on real driving data that better reflects realistic road use such as variable speed ranges, acceleration and deceleration.

Because the new testing better represents real-life driving conditions, fuel consumption may appear higher, and EV range lower, than under the old standard. The vehicle’s performance hasn’t changed, just the way fuel economy is measured is more realistic.

Today’s Rightcar update also includes an annual safety rating update, with the latest safety ratings for all vehicles in New Zealand which have been assessed by Monash University’s Accident Research Centre using a database of 8 million crashes.

Since the ratings measure the relative safety of vehicles compared to all others on the road, the current ratings for some vehicles in New Zealand will change from today, reflecting that newer, safer vehicles continue to enter the fleet.

“People are increasingly placing more importance on safety and environmental impact in their vehicle buying decisions, and we’re continuing to encourage people to buy the safest, cleanest, most efficient vehicle in their price range.

Find vehicles with high safety and environmental ratings in New Zealand at rightcar.govt.nz/safe-and-clean

Road repair works in Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki and Rotorua districts

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Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Bay of Plenty Transport System Manager Roger Brady says these works will rebuild and strengthen the roads.

“To ensure safety and resilience these works are best completed during the warm, dry summer months.

“We encourage motorists to drive with care through the sites and obey temporary speed limits to ensure the safety of road workers and other motorists. We want to see everyone get home safely. Motorists should plan for minor delays and allow additional time for their journeys.”

Weather permitting, the works are expected to be completed by 23 December.

SH2 Edgecumbe

Repair works will take place overnight between Puriri Crescent and College Road from Sunday to Thursday between 7pm and 5am.

Stop/Go traffic management with a 30km/h temporary speed limit will be in place overnight and during the day.

During the works there will be restricted movements onto Tawa Street, Rata Avenue and Puriri Crescent. Sign-posted detours will be in place. Delays are expected to be around five minutes.

SH30 Ātiamuri

Repair works will take place between Ohakuri Road and Nicholson Road from Monday to Friday between 6:30am and 6.30pm.

Stop/Go traffic management with a 30km/h temporary speed limit in place during the day and a 50km/h limit overnight. Delays are expected to be around five minutes.

Other sites to be aware of

Further maintenance work is also planned in and around the following areas for the week from Sunday 5 December, weather dependent:

  • Eight chipseal sites on SH30, between the State Highway 1 intersection at Ātiamuri and State Highway 5 intersection (Rotorua district)
  • 11 chipseal sites on SH2 in the Waioeka Gorge, from Wairata Road to the Gisborne boundary (Ōpōtiki district)

Motorists are advised to expect delays of up to 15 minutes the day after chipsealing works.

It is important motorists adhere to the relevant temporary speed limits during these works to ensure their safety and that of other road users and road workers and avoid damage to their vehicles.

For at least 24 hours after a site has been sealed, and before it is swept, it continues to operate under a reduced temporary speed limit of 50km/h while vehicles travel over the seal and help “bed in” the chip and to reduce the risk of chip damaging windscreens. The site is then swept, excess chip is removed, and the temporary speed limit remains in place until line marking has been reinstated (within 48 hours of the site being sealed, weather dependent).

Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience.

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