The Princess Street roundabout and underpass has now officially opened as part of Te Ara Tūtohu: State Highway 3 (SH3) Waitara to Bell Block safety improvements.

Between 2017 and 2021, 17 crashes were recorded at the Princess Street/SH3 intersection.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Senior Project Manager Calvin Rorke says he’s grateful to the contractors who’ve worked on the project and to the communities alongside SH3 and road users for their support – without which the construction wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.

“It’s been a special project to work on and NZTA has partnered with New Plymouth District Council and Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa iwi to develop safety solutions for this busy intersection.

“The pedestrian underpass is a unique feature of the area and provides a safe place for people to cross the road – including students walking to and from nearby Waitara High School.

“The construction of the roundabout and underpass involved completing a significant amount of work, a lot of which won’t be visible to people using the roundabout or the underpass.

“Before we could begin work on the roundabout itself, work on the stormwater systems took place to cater for future growth in the area and to ensure that water would drain away quickly from the road. This involved digging five metres into the ground to install new pipes.

“Once treated, the water is safely discharged into the stream in Manukorihi Park, which eventually discharges into the Waitara River,” says Mr Rorke.

“A stormwater outfall has also been constructed at the river which will safely discharge excess water in the event of heavy rain – preventing the wetland swale from flooding.

“Completing this part of the project is a significant milestone – however it’s only part of the larger plan to create a safer, more efficient section of State Highway 3. We understand this work can, at times, be disruptive for road users and we really do appreciate people’s understanding.”

About the project

Te Ara Tūtohu, the $82m safety upgrade to SH3 between Waitara and Bell Block, is delivering new roundabouts at the intersections of Princess Street, Waitara Road, SH3A (Mountain Road) and De Havilland Drive, along with other improvements that will improve the safety and efficiency of the highway.

Construction on the roundabout at Waitara Road is now underway, with the roundabouts at SH3A and De Havilland Drive due to start in 2025.

For further information about the SH3 Waitara to Bell Block safety improvements project and to sign up to email updates visit nzta.govt.nz/w2bb.

Yesterday signs advertising a new temporary speed limit of 50km/hour were put in place between Simons Pass and Lake Ruataniwha south of Twizel, a distance of 28 kms.

“We have started with a blanket speed limit approach, but we will refine this to high risk areas on SH8 over coming days, based on weather forecast and conditions on the ground,” says Mark Pinner, System Manager Central South Island for NZTA. “This will mean that some areas of highway less prone to persistent frost or fog may go up to 70km/ hour or even 100km/hour in coming days.”

“We acknowledge that this is an unusual situation which has required us to take these measures and it will be actively managed until the end of winter for everyone’s safety.”

Today is a fine and sunny day through the Mackenzie Basin with no fog, says Mr Pinner, but the potential for frozen/black ice road conditions in many places has not immediately changed. People need to slow down significantly hence the need for daily monitoring and adjustments which will reflect the road and weather conditions.

While other parts of the South Island road network are also experiencing more ice and fog-related weather this season, in general they are much less affected than this area of SH8 through the Mackenzie Basin.

Part of SH8 Pukaki highway last week, around 11 am, 18 July in fog with black ice.

Places like the Lindis Pass, west of Omarama, benefit from slightly more wind but the Pukaki area has had windless conditions in recent weeks allowing the hoar frost and fog to last for hours and a persistent/long-lasting frost effect on the highway keeping temperatures extremely low.

“We are working closely with our Police partners and MetService to ensure people get to their destinations safely and without endangering themselves or other road users. If it becomes necessary, we will close the road, so people should check our highway map before setting out around the central and southern South Island, particularly overnight.”

Highway map

Police will be patrolling the area over the winter period while the freezing conditions continue. “It is essential people ‘Drive to the Conditions,’” says Mr Pinner.

“We encourage all drivers around the South Island to slow down where there is the potential for black ice on bridge decks and in shaded places and in fog, drivers need to slow significantly.”

NZTA has also added a fourth gritting crew into the early morning/daytime highway maintenance in the Mackenzie basin while the freezing temperatures continue.

MetService overview of current 2024 winter weather conditions

So why is this winter proving challenging on some southern South Island/Te Waipounamu highways and in the Mackenzie Basin in particular? MetService supplied us with this overview:

• The difference largely comes down to preceding years’ winter conditions being unusually warm.
• The winter of 2024 has an absence of oceanic heat (marine heatwave), which is noticeable to the average kiwi. This follows several record warm winters from 2020 to 2023.
• By comparison, 2024 is not a warm winter, but more what we would call a ‘normal winter’. This means conditions that would be more typical for winter like black ice, are more common than they have been.
• Most winters see a period of “blocking”, when a large, slow-moving high pressure system sits somewhere near New Zealand. This leads to settled weather and light winds, allowing temperatures to plummet in inland areas. We have seen this through much of July so far.
• If there is enough moisture in the air lying over the country, fog will form and fill the Mackenzie basin. This freezes and forms the hoar frosts we saw over recent weeks. Unfortunately, this also leads to black ice conditions on roads.
• Further periods of black ice are possible through the rest of this winter, especially with another cold outbreak looking increasingly likely next week starting 29 July, with the potential for snow to affect many South Island roads. However, the length of the ice risk period will depend on how long high pressure persists after a trough moves away.
• In the long term, most weather modelling indicates systems becoming more mobile as we head towards spring and a return to the more usual westerlies.

Contractors will be moving temporary steel safety barriers next week as they continue shoulder works and complete work in both the north and southbound lanes.

The temporary barrier shift requires 5 nights of closures with traffic using the established detours around the site.

Northbound closures: Sunday to Tuesday 28-30 July,  7pm-5am

Southbound closures:  Wednesday to Thursday 31 July-1 August, 7pm-5am

During the closures, the detour routes are different for each direction due to works in Ngāruawāhia town which prevent southbound highway traffic using this route as a detour.  

The northbound detour takes SH1 traffic via Ngāruawāhia on the old highway between the Horotiu and Gordonton Road interchanges. HPMVs must use SH1B, and overweight vehicles need to use SH2/27, under an existing overweight permit.  

Southbound detour traffic will use SH1B, rejoining SH1 via Lake Road. However heavy vehicles (50 tonnes and above) must continue on SH1B, including the local road detour around Telephone Road, and connect to SH1 again at Cambridge or via SH26 into Hamilton.

See map attached.

People are asked to take extra care when travelling along the detour route by following any temporary speed limits, signs and instructions from the traffic management team.

On-going work at the SH1 Ngāruawāhia section includes:

• Shoulder widening and construction of new maintenance bays.
• Shoulder barrier works.
• Structural pavement treatment works.

A final continuous asphalt surface will complete the repair works, replacing the temporary chipseal and asphalt surfaces which have been in place during earlier temporary repairs and while moisture monitoring was conducted.

The safety improvements needed to bring the road up to 110km/h standard include making side barriers continuous, upgrading some barriers, additional maintenance and turnaround bays for emergency services, shoulder widening and relocating some lighting.

The works are expected to finish in mid-2025 although the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and its contractors are continuing to look at programming and resources to have the work finish earlier.

Chief Executive, Nicole Rosie, says this corridor has had a significant number of deaths and serious injuries, and has increasing volumes of traffic. It is also a key corridor for communities who live along or off the state highway.  

“We are seeking to strike a balance between achieving the best safety outcomes for all road users and a design that meets local trip needs. 

“As a result of community concerns, NZTA will re-consider the options for the section of median barrier between Matahui/Lockington roundabout and Wharawhara Road, and the stretch between Apata Station Road and Morton Road, which is the longest section in the project and includes the Work Road intersection,” Ms Rosie says. 

The project will complete the finishing touches to the 1.4km of median barrier between Morton Road roundabout and Whatakao bridge.  

NZTA will continue median barrier installation from Wright Road to Aongatete bridge. This will mean Wright Road and Dawson Road will become left-in left-out (with a roundabout at Matahui/Lockington roads – approximately 1.2km distance from Wright Road).  

“NZTA is looking at ways we can continue to deliver safety benefits while meeting the community’s concerns,” Ms Rosie says. 

“As part of this, we will also look at the speed limit for this stretch, which will depend on the safety improvements installed.” 

The current phase of works, installing median barriers and safe turnaround points (roundabouts), is 75 percent complete, with 4 of 6 roundabouts built, and the fifth in construction at Apata Station Road.   

Changes to the overall design of the safety improvements have been made throughout the project and NZTA continues to consider the concerns raised by the community with the current design.  NZTA will update the community following the re-examination process, which will take several weeks. 

Since late April, contractors have been working on the first stage of construction at the intersection of State Highway 2  and Hebden Crescent by Liverton Road. This intersection has a serious risk for side-impact crashes.

Median barriers on the highway have been extended and made continuous, and right-hand turns in and out of the intersection have been permanently removed. This removes the danger of turning across oncoming northbound traffic.

While this work has been underway, the intersection has been temporarily closed.

However, starting Tuesday, 30 July (weather permitting), the intersection will be reopened, meaning drivers will be able to make left-hand turns into and out of Hebden Crescent again.  

Construction will then shift to the southern State Highway 2/Hebden Crescent intersection near Owen Street.

This work is expected to start on Wednesday, 31 July, and will run for around three weeks, weather permitting. 

Contractors will remove the left turn slip lane and install new safety barriers and a new traffic island. 

Once construction begins, the intersection will be closed to traffic. Drivers on State Highway 2 should use the Hebden Crescent intersection, by Liverton Road, or the Haywards interchange to access Hebden Crescent. 

Both these intersections have had longstanding safety issues. There have been 29 crashes at these two intersections between 2014 and 2023, with one person losing their life. The work will improve safety at the two intersections and ensure efficient and reliable journeys for the 37,000 vehicles that use this section of the highway daily. 

During the coming weeks, the work will require some overnight northbound lane closures on State Highway 2 from Wednesday, July 31, for approximately two weeks. The remainder of the work will be carried out under a shoulder closure, day and night.  

This work is weather–dependent and may be delayed if weather conditions are poor.  

Works schedule

• Wednesday 31 July for approximately 3 weeks. Sunday to Thursday nights, 8 pm – 4:30 am (weather permitting)
• Traffic management will be installed from 7 pm. Drivers travelling northbound may experience some delays
• A temporary speed limit of 50km/hr will be in place for the duration of the works

SH2 Hutt Valley intersection safety improvements 

“The additional, fourth gritting crew will boost our early morning highway preparation in this area of SH8,” says Mark Pinner, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) System Manager Central South Island.

“There are normally three crews working every day based on weather conditions and forecast, from pre-dawn applying de-icing compound and grit as appropriate while patrolling and monitoring conditions.

“Electronic signs are warning drivers of ice and grit and winter driving conditions, temporary variable messaging boards are in place to further aid in messaging and seasonal signage is also being used. 

“Secondly, the highway speed will initially be temporarily dropped to 50km/hour from Simons Pass back to Lake Pukaki/Twizel/Ruataniwha, past the SH80 Mt Cook/Aoraki turnoff, a distance of around 28 km.

“This will reinforce the overall ‘Drive to the Conditions’ message and is a further step informing all road users of the need to slow down in freezing, icy conditions.”

These new, temporary speed limits are in place from today, 23 July. They will be reviewed and amended across the coming winter days to match the conditions/ground temperatures in this area and weather forecasts.

In the past NZTA has put in place targeted temporary speed limits when temperatures remain below zero in foggy, sunless conditions, says Mr Pinner.

“We will raise the temporary speed limit to 70km/hour for this stretch of highway if the conditions warm up and the fog reduces in coming days,” he says. “Drivers will see the temporary speed limits quite clearly where they are in place.

“We encourage all drivers around the South Island to slow down where there is the potential for black ice on bridge decks and in shaded places.”