Category: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) encourages people travelling between the West Coast and Canterbury on SH73, the Arthur’s Pass route, to check the dates they are travelling in advance.

There will be delays in December – up to an hour – at two key bridges – on different days.

People can check the NZTA Journey Planner or Traffic and Travel pages to see where delays could be encountered on the trip.

NZTA Journey Planner(external link)

McGrath Creek Bridge, SH73 near Arthur’s Pass

At McGrath Creek Bridge near Arthur’s Pass, contractors will be installing new bridge beams (to make the bridge wider and eventually into two lanes) over three days in December, Tuesday to Thursday, 10-12 December, between 10 am and 3 pm.

This bridge will reopen at the top of each hour between 10 am and 3 pm to let traffic through in either direction, so drivers could face up to an hour’s delay.

Bealey Bridge at the entrance to Arthur’s Pass, hourly openings Sunday night

The Bealey River Bridge is getting its handrails repaired over one Sunday night 15 December. The crew will be on site 6pm to 6am with the first closure for 50 minutes at 7.10 pm and the last one at 5.10 am.

Overnight and evening drivers between the West Coast and Canterbury need to factor in the delays on that night. The bridge will be open as usual up till 7.10 pm on 15  December.

Quite a lot of work happening in the lead-in to Christmas

There is likely to be other work occurring on the Canterbury-West Coast highway network with Stop/Go control (5-10 minute delays) in the lead-in to the Christmas shut-down. Drivers travelling between the West Coast/Buller and Canterbury, or Canterbury and Nelson should allow a bit more time for these minor additional worksites, pack some cold drinks and snacks and enjoy some chill time.

• Electronic signs at each end of SH73 in places like Kumara Junction, Arthur’s Pass, Stillwater, Otira and Springfield will let people know the open hours that day.
• The Lewis Pass via Waipara and Reefton, SH7, is the alternative route adding around an hour to the journey between Canterbury and the West Coast.
• Any changes to route availability will be updated on the Journey Planner at all times.

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

A new edition of Medical aspects of fitness to drive: a guide for health practitioners is now available for health practitioners to use when assessing a patient’s fitness to drive. 

Medical assessments supported by Medical aspects of fitness to drive play an important part in determining if a patient is fit to drive or not. They also help medical practitioners and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) decide if licence conditions are needed for road safety reasons.  

Main changes include updated medical guidelines and standards, consideration of findings from coroner reports on road deaths linked to medical conditions, improved guidance around roles and responsibilities of health practitioner when assessing fitness to drive, and advising drivers about how their medical situation may affect their driving. For certain medical conditions, there are fewer restrictions on some people to be able to continue to drive.

“This new edition is an improved, easy to navigate and comprehensive tool to guide health practitioners in assessing if patients are fit and competent to drive safely,” says NZTA National Manager Regulatory Systems Design Chris Rodley. 

“To review the guide, we’ve engaged with New Zealand experts in different medical fields and considered standards from Australia’s Austroads’ Assessing Fitness to Drive and medical research commissioned by Monash University. We then consulted with health professionals, medical bodies, impacted industry organisations and interest groups.”

A summary of the changes and the feedback we received during consultation is available online.  

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Updated safety ratings for used vehicles in New Zealand are now available on Rightcar.govt.nz, with a new crash avoidance features rating included this year to help Kiwis find safer vehicles.

The 2024 used car safety ratings released by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) apply to most cars, SUVs, utes and other light vehicles on our roads. With a scale of 1 to 5 stars, the ratings provide the best indication of the level of protection different used vehicles provide people on our roads.

“Anyone can make a mistake on the roads – and when this happens your choice of vehicle can play a key major role in keeping you and others safe,” explains NZTA Principal Advisor Safe Vehicles Todd Wylie. 

Mr Wylie urges everyone to visit Rightcar to check the latest safety and environmental ratings of their current vehicles and any they’re interested in.    

“There is always significant variation in safety between makes and models of vehicles available, and our analysis shows there are high star-safety rated vehicles in most categories and price ranges.”

Based on the latest independent analysis of real-world crash data and factoring in the new crash avoidance features rating, around 1 million used vehicles’ overall safety ratings have changed compared to 2023. This includes some newer vehicles which have transitioned from an ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) rating, which apply for up to 6 years.

The new crash avoidance features rating – which contributes to used vehicles’ overall safety rating – considers the reduced risk of crashing due to a vehicle having key features which help prevent crashes or reduce their severity. 

The crash avoidance rating is calculated based on the availability of the following features:  

• electronic stability control  
• automatic emergency braking  
• lane keep assist  
• roll stability control  
• daytime running lights; and 
• reversing cameras/sensors. 

Mr Wylie notes analysis of crash and injury data from New Zealand and Australia highlights the improvements in vehicle safety over the last 30 years. This has primarily been in reducing the risk of death or serious injury to vehicle drivers, compared to only a slight improvement in protection for people outside the vehicle.  

Based on the latest analysis, medium and small SUVs have more models rated five-stars for overall safety compared to small and medium cars, partly reflecting the majority of these vehicles are newer – so have more safety features and safety-focused design.

“At the other end of the vehicle safety spectrum, however, commercial utes and people movers perform relatively poorly in both driver protection and protection for people outside the vehicle -such as other drivers or people walking, cycling or on a motorcycle.”;

Mr Wylie also highlights another change introduced this year – the inclusion of air pollution ratings in the ‘Great choice!’ criteria on Rightcar. To qualify, new and used vehicles now need high overall safety, carbon emission and air pollution ratings. 

Road safety is one of the Government’s key priorities, which NZTA is delivering on – including through our work on safer roads, safer vehicles and safer drivers. Everyone can play their part, including by prioritising safety when choosing a vehicle, doing regular basic safety checks and driving safely. 

Rightcar website(external link)

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Details of upcoming road works and closures.

State Highway 2 Kennedy Good Bridge

Kennedy Good Bridge will be closed to all traffic on Sunday 8 December from 9pm, with set up starting from 8pm.

Drivers wanting to get to and from Lower Hutt will have to use the Melling Link intersection instead. This intersection will be under stop/go which will cause delays. Drivers can still travel in both directions on State Highway 2.

Stop/go traffic management will be in place Monday and Tuesday nights at Kennedy Good Bridge/Major Drive intersections.

Road crews will resurface State Highway 2 at the Kennedy Good Bridge and Major Drive intersections to improve the road’s surface and its skid resistance. It will make the intersection, which carries around 36,000 vehicles daily, smoother and safer for drivers.

Contractors will make the most of the closure to complete other critical maintenance, including work on traffic signals – this will help improve traffic flows through the intersection.

This is part of ongoing work on State Highway 2 through the Hutt Valley, which began in early September. It has seen almost nine lane kilometres of road resurfacing already completed between Dowse Interchange and Belmont, as well as near Manor Park, and River Road and Totara Park in Upper Hutt.

A further five lane kilometres of resurfacing work is planned for State Highway 2 in the Hutt Valley in the New Year. This will be for southbound lanes near Grounsell Crescent to Tirohanga and Petone.

Further updates will be provided before this work starts.

View larger map [PDF, 211 KB]

Work schedule

Sunday 8 December

• Kennedy Good Bridge CLOSED to all traffic
• Vehicles need to take the Melling Link exit to reach Lower Hutt, or other alternative exits/entries.
• There will be stop/go traffic controls at the Major Drive and Kennedy Good Bridge intersections, all directions
• SH2 traffic should prepare for delays at this intersection throughout the night, in both directions
• Stop/go and Kennedy Good Bridge closed between 9 pm and 4.30 am
• Set up from 8 pm, expect delays
• Major Drive, Kelson will be accessible at all times for residents, under stop/go.

Monday 9 December and Tuesday 10 December

• Stop/go traffic controls at the Major Drive and Kennedy Good Bridge intersections
• SH2 traffic can expect delays at this intersection throughout the night, in both directions
• Stop/go between 9 pm and 4.30 am
• Set up from 8 pm, expect delays
• Major Drive, Kelson will be accessible at all times for residents, under stop/go.

State Highway 2 Totara Park

State Highway 2 will be closed  between Whakatiki Street and Totara Park Road to all traffic on Monday 9 December between 9pm and midnight. Drivers will need to detour via Upper Hutt.

Road crews will be carrying out minor traffic signal sensor maintenance at the Gibbons Street intersection. Site inspections will also be done in preparation for future maintenance works.

Work schedule

Monday 9 December

• Whakatiki Street to Totara Park Road CLOSED to all traffic
• Vehicles need to detour via Whakatiki Street, Fergusson Drive and Totara Park Road
• Road closed between 9 pm and midnight
• Set up from 8 pm, expect delays
• The road will re-open by midnight.

View larger map [PDF, 240 KB]

More Information

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Update 11:20 pm: State Highway 2 is now open to one lane following a crash near Timberlea/Brown Owl earlier tonight.

The northbound lane has reopened to traffic, and the southbound lane is expected to reopen shortly.

Lines work remains ongoing and further traffic management may be used overnight.

Drivers can expect ongoing delays and should take extra while driving through the area.

Road users are asked to follow the instructions of contractors on site and obey all traffic management in place.

---

9.35pm:

State Highway 2 is  currently closed near Timberlea/Brown Owl in Upper Hutt following a crash tonight.

The road is closed between Akatarawa Road and Norana Road.

The crash, which was reported around nine pm, has downed a power pole and power lines onto the road.

Local road diversions are in place and drivers must  follow the instructions of emergency services at the site.

Delays through the area can be expected until the crash scene is cleared and made safe.

Updates on the highway’s status can be found on the NZTA/Waka Kotahi website.

Highway conditions – Wellington(external link)

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises overnight road resurfacing works will take place on State Highway 14 at Fudge Farm on Sunday (1 December).

Work will take place between 9pm and 5am, with stop/go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit in place for the duration.

This work is the final part of this significant road rebuild project and will help smooth any remaining areas of uneven surface.

Rebuilding the road, which often involves replacing all or most of the structural road layers, improves the longevity of the network, the resilience and ultimately the safety and efficiency for all road users.

This summer maintenance period (September 2024 to May 2025), we’re investing in the largest road rebuild programme ever for the region, with Northland one of three regions across Aotearoa with the most significant road rebuild programmes over the next three years.  

Please be patient and treat our crews with kindness and respect. Reduce your speed, adhere to the temporary speed limits and follow the traffic management directions at our work sites. 

Work is weather dependent and there may be changes to the planned works in the case of unsuitable weather. Please visit the NZTA Journey Planner website for up-to-date information on these works, including any changes due to weather.

Journey Planner – Northland roadworks(external link)

For more information about the overall maintenance programme and planned works, visit the Northland State Highway Maintenance Programme website.

Journey Planner – Northland state highway maintenance programme(external link)

NZTA thanks everyone for their patience while we undertake this important work to improve the safety and efficiency of our roads.

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

State Highway 1 Tūrangi to Waiouru – including the Desert Road – will be closed for vital road rebuilding and repairs for around 2 months from Monday 13 January 2025.

This start date is 1 week later than originally planned, to try and reduce the impact on people’s summer holiday journeys, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

“We appreciate this is a very critical piece of road, so while we can’t postpone for long, we understand summer holiday journeys are important and no-one wants to be stuck in their vehicle longer than necessary,” says Roger Brady, Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty

“This section of SH1 is in one of the worst conditions in the Waikato region, it’s also one of the most challenging to fix. The alpine environment and potential for a cold snap means we have to do this closure in the peak summer months because the ground temperature needs to be at 13 degrees minimum to carry out pavement works.

Tūrangi to Waiouru is the southernmost section of the SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru Accelerated Maintenance project which is the largest and most ambitious maintenance and renewal project undertaken in New Zealand. NZTA is using block road closures of SH1 to deliver 4 years of road renewals within 16 months.  That’s 121.8 lane km of resurfacing and rebuilding works.

“We do not take road closures lightly, but by closing this section completely from 13 January, NZTA and contractors are able to complete the work more efficiently and safely. We can use more invasive construction methodology, which would not be possible under stop/go traffic management – meaning SH1 will be quickly brought up to a higher standard.

“If we attempted this amount of work under stop/go, road users would experience at least 8 weeks of disruption a year over the next four summers – in addition to a full closure for the bridge deck replacement.

“As well as fewer disruptive delays for motorists navigating temporary traffic management at numerous sites, it also means we can attend to other maintenance work such as upgrading drainage, clearing vegetation, and improving signage and road markings. 

“While the Desert Road is closed, we’ll be rebuilding or repairing 16 lane kilometres and replacing the deck on the Mangatoetoenui Bridge, which is around 23km south of Rangipō. Combining this deck replacement with the maintenance and rebuilding work is an efficiency win for everyone,” Mr Brady says.

More information will be available as soon as the detours are finalised, but it is likely that motorists would be detoured on (from north to south) – SH41, SH47, SH4, SH49 and back to SH1. The detour will add around 30 minutes to people’s journeys.

“It’s not unfamiliar to regular road users in this area, as this is the detour we use every time we do full closures of the Desert Road.”

SH46 will be open to give access to residents and businesses and those undertaking recreational activities in that area, but there will be no throughfare to or from SH1.

“NZTA is working with the freight industry and local councils throughout this project. We are also working with Iwi, businesses including tourism organisations and local freight companies and residents, to understand the impacts potential closures and detours will have,” Mr Brady says.

Nightworks will be required to lay the final seal. Timing is to be confirmed.

This work forms part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.

Motorists can plan ahead using the NZTA Journey planner – https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/journey-planner(external link) . Our advice is – don’t always rely on Google Maps – sense check it first.

More information on our website: nzta.govt.nz/T2W. 

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

A stretch of State Highway 35 at Te Anaputarua (Whanarua Bay) will be single lane for a number of weeks from next month to repair an underslip.

Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) alliance, on behalf of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) will begin work on Monday 2 December to restore the road shoulder and repair an underslip at Te Anaputarua, 10km east of Whanarua Bay on SH35 in the eastern Bay of Plenty.

Crews will be working Monday to Friday, from 6am to 6pm. During this time, the road will be down to one lane, with a stop/go traffic management system in place and a temporary speed limit of 30 km/h.

Between 6pm and 6am, traffic lights will be in operation for people travelling through the work site.

During the work, crews will also focus on improving stormwater management and drainage, to prevent future erosion.

We anticipate this work will take six weeks to complete and is expected to be finished late January, taking into consideration the tools-down period over the Christmas break, which is designed to minimise disruption on the state highway network over the festive season.

Crews will also be onsite at Opape from Thursday 5 December, relocating services ahead of starting work in late January to repair an underslip.

Crews will work a number of additional recovery sites on SH35 over the coming weeks and months.

Some of these sites include stop/go traffic management in some cases and traffic lights in others. It’s important to respect temporary speed restrictions and follow the instructions from crews onsite, to keep road users, communities and roading crews safe.

NZTA and TREC advises road users to plan their journeys and expect delays while we continue to boost the resilience and safety of SH35 and ultimately efficiency for local communities and road users.

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

It’s official, summer has started! The change of season and build up to Christmas means the road renewals season is almost at the halfway point, with great progress being made across the regions.

Contractors are out in force, which means there are more roadworkers out there keeping everyone safe near work sites. While most drivers are getting it right through worksites, it’s disappointing to see some people speeding and putting others at risk, says Sandra King, Bay of Plenty System Manager Bay at NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

“Speeding vehicles can flick up loose metal and other objects, which can be dangerous to our roadworkers and other road users.

“Motorists also have less control at higher speeds. They may clip road cones and send them flying at our roadworkers or into oncoming traffic – or lose control completely.

“Even when there is no one working on a site, we sometimes leave a reduced speed limit in place. This is to protect both road users and the road surface.

Temporary speed limits are left on sites for a reason – safety and quality. People will be driving on either a temporary surface or possibly freshly laid chipseal. We encourage drivers to take extra care, especially at night or in bad weather when visibility is reduced, so they can safely get to their destination, says Ms King.

“As always, the NZTA Journey Planner is the best tool to use on the day of travel, as this provides real-time updates on worksites and other road hazards on the network.”

Journey planner(external link)

This work forms part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.

Waikato and Bay of Plenty state highway works as at 29 November 2024 [PDF, 359 KB]