Category: New Zealand Transport Agency

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No Easter opening for SH11 past Lemons Hill slip in Northland

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: No Easter opening for SH11 past Lemons Hill slip in Northland

Crews are working from the top of the slip to clear loose material, but the work has been constantly interrupted by bad weather.

A plan to use explosives on the slip is still going through a review of health and safety processes and geotechnical analysis.

“We have considered opening the road for a time at the start and end of the day, but there’s a risk that loose material could fall on to the road at any time,” says the Transport Agency’s Northland System Manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult.

“Our crews are working as fast as safely possible given the complexity of the slip, the difficult access and the weather interruptions. We’re conscious of the importance of the link to the Bay of Islands for locals and tourists and we’re working to reopen the road as soon as we can.”

Heavy rain brought down the slip on Lemons Hill on February 13, closing SH11 between Paihia and Kawakawa.

The sign posted detour is via State Highways 1, 10 and 11. With increased traffic on the detour, drivers should allow up to 30 minutes for the journey between Kawakawa and Paihia. We ask motorists to drive with care and to the road conditions, and to allow enough time to get to their destination safely.

The Transport Agency apologises for the inconvenience and thanks local communities and visitors to the region for their understanding and patience during this time.

Stay informed on the progress of clearing this slip at www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/sh11 or on the NZTA Auckland and Northland Facebook page.

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New mobile barrier to keep workers and drivers safe on Auckland motorways

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: New mobile barrier to keep workers and drivers safe on Auckland motorways

The MBT-1, a 20 metre long mobile motorway barrier, rolled off a container ship in Auckland today.

The barrier will provide a highly mobile, protected work environment for motorway workers and is the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. It drives fully setup, like a semi-truck, and can be easily positioned and driven from one site to another. Once it’s in position, crew can quickly move inside the barrier and get to work.

The safest way to carry out essential maintenance is usually to shut down an entire section of motorway, no matter how many lanes there are. The MBT will allow crews to quickly get to work in a safe and protected manner while still keeping some lanes open to traffic, says the Transport Agency’s System Manager Steve Mutton.

“It’s a win-win situation for safety and traffic flow.”

The MBT-1 will be used by the Auckland Motorway Alliance (AMA) which is responsible for the maintenance and operation of Auckland’s motorways.

The AMA makes dozens of night time closures a week to carry out essential safety and maintenance work on stretches of motorway and on and off ramps. The closures are mostly at night when traffic is light and closures cause least disruption and delays. The MTB will give the crews new protection, flexibility and agility.

The MBT-1 is widely used on American motorways, where road crews had found that set up and breakdown of a work site often took longer than the work itself. With the mobile barrier, crews are doing in one night what used to take three to five nights.

The MBT-1 has side walls nearly 2 metres high.

“There’s physical and visual separation from passing traffic. “Rubberneckers” will be less inclined to slow down and look because the barrier’s solid wall means they can’t really see anything. Traffic will be able to flow freely past in their own lanes,” says Mr Mutton.

The MBT-1 will be self-contained, carrying its own power, lights and signage. The barrier’s on-board and internal storage can carry tonnes of equipment and supplies. That will help reduce the number of other work vehicles parking on the motorway while work is carried out.

“The barrier will be particularly useful on jobs such as chip seal, pothole repairs, median barrier replacements or repairs and where there are a number of discrete work areas and separate locations in a given day or night,” says Mr Mutton.

Gary Bonser, AMA Maintenance Manager, Jennifer Hart, Acting AMA Director and Paul Geck, NZTA Acting System Manager take delivery of the MBT-1 mobile motorway barrier.

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Motorists on SH1 north of Auckland over Easter will find new road seal

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Motorists on SH1 north of Auckland over Easter will find new road seal

The Transport Agency has been making the most of the warmer, usually drier summer months to get ahead on major projects and improve the safety and resilience of the regions’ highways.

“We do much of our work in summer because we need warm, dry conditions to help new road seals to stick to the existing surface and create more durable highways,” says the Transport Agency’s System Manager Steve Mutton.

Heading north from Auckland, motorists will encounter new seal on the Brynderwyn Hills. There’s new seal from the top of the Brynderwyns to the Lookout in the north and southbound lanes. The road will be swept clean and road markings applied but motorists still need to take extra care through the area.

Drivers are advised to plan your journey to avoid peak travel times and allow more time to reach your destination.

Further north, there are recent seals on the Waipu straights and near Uretiti.

The repairs and resealing of the three Mata Bridges between Ruakaka and Oakleigh is scheduled to be completed overnight tonight (Wednesday), weather permitting.

There are speed limits in place around the new seal.

Just north of the Mata Bridges, there are ongoing road works at Oakleigh, where the road is not sealed and temporary speed limits will be in place. There will be no active works at this location over the long weekend. 

The road surface will be in a compacted smooth state, but motorists are warned it could deteriorate in heavy traffic if it rains. The road surface could break up and cause potholes. Road crews will be on standby with a grader and roller to repair the road for drivers’ comfort and safety.   

Drivers are advised to stay in their lanes and keep to the speed limit for their own safety as well as other motorists and road crew. 

Drivers using State Highway 15 are advised to allow more time for their travel on Saturday as road crews will be doing patch repair works under stop/go traffic management just south of the Twin bridges.

“We ask motorists to slow down through road works and respect the reduced speed limits because we want everyone including workers and motorists to stay safe this summer, ” says Mr Mutton.

Drivers returning to Auckland on SH2 from the Coromandel and other areas to the south east of the city are advised that the passing lane by the Maramarua Golf Course will be closed on Monday from 9am to 8pm.

The closure will make the road safer for all road users in heavy traffic by maintaining a steady flow and preventing the risk of crashes as traffic merges at the end of the passing lane. Slightly longer queues can be expected but there will be minimal impact to overall travel times. 

For information about road works in your area and across the country you can go online and visit our Summer Journeys website https://nzta.govt.nz/traffic-and-travel-information/, phone 0800 444 449, or  follow the Transport Agency on Facebook or Twitter.

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Rocks Road update for Easter in Nelson

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Rocks Road update for Easter in Nelson

“The highway will be back to 50 km/ hour, with all road markings complete,” says NZ Transport Agency System Manager Frank Porter. “The cycle lane will also be marked up in time for Easter.

“Crews have been working hard through the nights in recent weeks to completely replace the paving and cycle path area, which was a planned summer project. On top of that they have been able to rebuild seawall and footpaths damaged by ex-tropical-Cyclone Fehi in early February. Some of that seawall and footpath reconstruction will continue after Easter.”

  • Not all of the footpath at Magazine Point will be complete, Mr Porter says. One section will be remain with a gravel surface over Easter. This will be completed the week following Easter.
  • Streetlight bases are currently awaiting delivery and are likely to be installed the second week following Easter.

Temporary traffic management will be used while crews are working, and drivers are asked to take care around cyclists using the cycle lane.

Mr Porter says the crews have pulled out all the stops to get the highway ready for Easter, recording some team firsts, and drivers should enjoy the new smooth surface.

How to stay up to date: 

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Expect delays on State Highway 3 south of Hamilton

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Expect delays on State Highway 3 south of Hamilton

The road is closed near Ingram Road and a diversion is in place down Raynes Road and State Highway 21.

People should avoid the area or expect delays.

People can stay up to date by calling 0800 4 HIGHWAYS or they can check for state highway closures on the website:

www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/

And sign up for alerts for their journey at: www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz

We are also on Twitter and Facebook:

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State Highway I to the Far North will reopen at 3pm today

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: State Highway I to the Far North will reopen at 3pm today

The NZ Transport Agency says the road will reopen to two lanes of traffic and pedestrians at 3pm. Local kaumatua performed a karakia to bless the road at midday.

“The road rebuild has been an awesome effort by our crews. We’ve had a good run of fine weather since the washout but our crews have had to work in difficult ground conditions 5 metres below road level. They’ve worked as quickly as safely possible to restore the highway for our northern communities,” say the Transport Agency’s Northland System Manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult.

The original plan was to reopen on Thursday, but there was significant progress yesterday as trucks brought in about 2,000 cubic metres of material to cover the drain and fill the hole up to road level.

“The route across the washout area will be unsealed and work is continuing on the culvert either side of the road today. There will be stop/go traffic management and drivers can expect some delays. “

“There will be no work over the long weekend but work on the site will continue after Easter for about two weeks until the road is sealed.”

Friday’s heavy rain also caused flooding and road damage further north of the washout so crews will be moving on to inspect, repair and clean up as required, says Ms Hori-Hoult.

“The Transport Agency thanks the local communities and businesses affected by the road closure. We understand the frustrations and challenges it’s caused and we’ve worked as hard as possible to reopen the road and provide a permanent solution to the drainage challenges in the area,” says Ms Hori-Hoult.

The Transport Agency thanks Summit Forests for allowing public vehicles to use its private track through the forest to bypass the washout. The Transport Agency also thanks the police for managing the morning and evening convoys. More than 150 vehicles joined the convoys for the forty minute journey over three days.

The Transport Agency also thanks local authorities, emergency services and the Ministry of Civil Defence as they worked closely to ensure the welfare of local communities and visitors.

Check the Transport Agency’s website: www.nzta.govt.nz for the latest highway information or sign up to www.onthemove.govt.nz for up-to-date information on what is happening on the route you plan to travel; freephone 0800 4 HIGHWAYS for national and regional travel updates.

State Highway 1 south of Pukenui in the Far North which is about to be reopened to traffic.

 

A local kaumatua about to perform a karakia to bless repairs on State Highway 1 north of Kaitaia after a washout closed the road.

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Simple mistakes shouldn’t cost lives – NZ Transport Agency and NZ Police welcome AA research report

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Simple mistakes shouldn’t cost lives – NZ Transport Agency and NZ Police welcome AA research report

The AA Research Foundation study, based on detailed reports from 300 passenger vehicle crashes that resulted in either a fatality or serious injury, found that ‘reckless behaviour’ including drink-driving and speeding contributed to around half of the fatal crashes studied, while around three quarters of the serious injury crashes studied involved drivers who were generally obeying the road rules but crashed after making a mistake.

“This report confirms the need to create a safe transport system which accommodates for human error so that simple mistakes don’t result in avoidable deaths and injuries on our roads,” says NZ Transport Agency Director of Safety and Environment Harry Wilson.

“The safe system concept underpins our approach to road safety, striving to prevent crashes and reduce the severity of crashes when they do occur. Rather than blaming the road user for causing a crash, it acknowledges that even responsible people sometimes make mistakes in their use of the road transport system.

“The safe system has four equally important pillars – safe roads and roadsides, safe vehicles, safe speeds and safe road use.

“We’re working to make improvements in all of those areas, and we hope this new report will help to broaden the road safety conversation beyond questions of ‘who was at fault’ in a crash, to look at the bigger picture and what we can do collectively to make our system safer,” Mr Wilson says.

Superintendent Steve Greally, National Manager Road Policing, says Police are working hard to contribute to a safe system by encouraging safer road use through prevention and enforcement.

“We know people can mistakes when they’re driving. That’s why we ask them to make good decisions to start with, to lessen the impact of mistakes.

“It’s simple things like making the choice to wear your seatbelt, because if you do make a mistake and crash, wearing your seatbelt greatly improves your chance of survival.

“It’s also why we ask people not to drive too fast –  the speed you’re travelling at when you crash has a direct impact on whether you are able to walk away from a crash with your life, and if you do, on the severity of your injuries.

“The report shows that speed is one of the main issues leading to fatal and serious injury crash outcomes. Quite simply, less speed means less harm.”

For more information on the Safe System and how it is applied in practice, see:

https://www.nzta.govt.nz/roads-and-rail/road-engineering/safety/safe-system/

The complete AA Research Foundation study can be found here.

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State Highway 1 to the Far North will be open for Easter

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: State Highway 1 to the Far North will be open for Easter

A single lane will open to traffic by midday on Thursday and two lanes will be open by the evening, says the Transport Agency’s Northland System Manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult. 

The route across the washout area will be gravel, not a sealed road and some delays are likely. 

The route to the Far North has been closed since heavy rain washed out the road about 40 kilometres north of Kaitaia last Friday. 

Crews are working to backfill the large hole with 5,000 cubic metres of material. A larger, 2.1 diameter pipe has been laid to provide more resilience across the culvert. 

“The Transport Agency understands the frustration the closure is causing and our team on site is working as hard as they can to reopen the road and provide a permanent solution to the drainage challenges in the area. It’s too dangerous to do any work overnight but work will resume at first light tomorrow,” says Ms Hori-Hoult. 

Convoys through the forest for essential travel only will continue until the road opens on Thursday. 

About 50 vehicles made the 40 minute journey in both directions under police supervision this morning. 

There will be morning and evening convoys again tomorrow. The morning convoy will leave at 7:30am for southbound traffic from the corner of Far North Road and Trig Road and at 8:15am for northbound vehicles from 113 Hukatere Road at the end of the sealed section, says Ms Hori-Hoult. 

Motorists will be travelling at their own risk through the off road route. 

Get real time information from:

For Auckland and Northland

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Northern Corridor Improvements project to start construction

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Northern Corridor Improvements project to start construction

The NCI Project Alliance, comprising the NZ Transport Agency, Fulton Hogan, HEB Construction, Opus and Jacobs, will start construction on 16 April, 2018.

The project will create a new connection between the Northern Motorway (State Highway 1) and State Highway 18, which will build on the improved travel times and resilience customers are already experiencing since the opening of the Waterview Connection.  It will also create better transport choices through 7kms of new walking and cycling paths and by extending the Northern Busway to Albany Bus Station.

The Transport Agency’s Senior Manager Project Delivery, Chris Hunt says “residents and commuters on the North Shore will have already noticed early preparation works, including night works which have been under way since January, ahead of the main construction period.”

“Extensive community engagement is already under way to make sure that all affected neighbours and businesses know what will be happening during construction, ahead of time.”

An open  day is  planned so the project team can explain enhancements made to the project’s design since it was approved in late 2017. 

“The design team has looked closely at innovative construction techniques and the latest best practice traffic management ideas to improve customer journeys and reduce the impact of construction, ” says Mr Hunt.

One of the major changes is to replace the overpass connecting SH1 southbound to SH18 westbound with an underpass. This will reduce the earthworks required, as well as noise and visual impact for communities overlooking the motorway.

Another big change is where Paul Matthews Road joins Upper Constellation Drive (SH18). The original design had a bridge crossing the motorway to Paul Matthews Drive, but Paul Matthews Drive will now be built to run alongside the motorway and connect directly at a new intersection at Caribbean Drive.  The bridge will no longer be required, significant earthworks are reduced and most of the work on this new extension will be done offline so it will not affect traffic during construction. 

Anyone keen to learn more about the project and design changes is invited to  an Open Day on Wednesday 28 March at the NZTA Hub, 33a Apollo Drive between 7am and 7pm.

A new series of maps and posters will also be published on our website after the open days – http://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/the-western-ring-route/auckland-northern-corridor/

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Plan ahead for Easter driving in the South Island: Ed Sheeran Dunedin traffic magnet, Golden Bay and Kaikōura reminders

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Plan ahead for Easter driving in the South Island: Ed Sheeran Dunedin traffic magnet, Golden Bay and Kaikōura reminders

The Transport Agency’s travel team has put together maps to show the expected peak Easter holiday traffic times to help drivers decide the best time to travel to avoid delays. These maps show the busiest times based on previous years’ travel patterns.

They are predictions and are subject to change based on the weather, local events (for example the Ed Sheeran concerts in Dunedin) and other factors.
 
“If everyone plans their travel in advance, and thinks about how they can travel outside the busiest periods it will help reduce congestion, delays and stress and that will make it a safer and more enjoyable journey for everyone,” says the Transport Agency’s Senior Journey Manager Neil Walker.

More details can be found at www.nzta.govt.nz/hotspots.

Summary

  • The three Ed Sheeran concerts in Dunedin over Easter and Warbirds over Wanaka will swell traffic volumes on the southern highways in Otago and Canterbury.
  • People heading in and out of Golden Bay over Takaka Hill can travel in convoys 8 am to 8 pm the four days of Easter.
  • Kaikōura access via State Highway 1 is open 7.30 am to 7.30 pm. Expect delays.

Ed Sheeran Dunedin travel advice

Around 16,000 tickets were sold in Christchurch for the Ed Sheeran concerts so people can expect between 5-7,000 extra cars on State Highway 1 between Christchurch and Dunedin over the weekend.

If you are attending an Ed Sheeran concert, there are lots of public transport options available.

Queenstown Airport, Warbirds over Wanaka

Warbirds over Wanaka will be attracting people into Queenstown Lakes District while many others will be heading to Dunedin for the Ed Sheeran concerts.
 
Around 50,000 people attended the air show in 2016, so expect large volumes of traffic on SH1, SH79 (Geraldine to Fairlie), SH8 (Tekapo, Omarama, the Lindis Pass) SH6 (Kawarau Gorge, Cromwell, Wanaka) and the Crown Range. www.warbirdsoverwanaka.com/ 

If you are catching a plane at Queenstown Airport, build in extra time – the Crown Range between Queenstown and Wanaka is going to be very busy as will be all roads around Queenstown.  For flight details and parking options please visit www.queenstownairport.co.nz.

Takaka/ Golden Bay Easter open each day, 8 am to 8 pm

The Takaka Hill road into Golden Bay (SH60) will be open for convoys 8am – 8pm all of Easter, Good Friday to Easter Monday inclusive.

The new weekday open hours are being extended this week (starting 26 March):  6-8 am mornings and 5-9 pm evenings.

On Thursday night (29 March) the afternoon opening will be from 3 pm through to 9 pm for Easter traffic.

Check latest update: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh60-takaka-hill-repairs/

Picton to Christchurch travellers and Kaikōura SH1 hours

There are two routes to choose from between Picton and Christchurch: SH1 via Kaikōura (allow up to 5.5 hours) or the alternate route via Lewis Pass (allow up to 6.5 hours).

  • Two sections of SH1 on either side of Kaikōura are closed overnight (7.30pm–7.30am) due to ongoing earthquake repair work. They are (north of Kaikōura) between Mangamaunu and Clarence and (south of Kaikōura) between Peketa and the SH1/Leader Road intersection. There will be delays for people driving through Kaikōura as the earthquake repair work continues. In particular, after the recent tail of ex-tropical-cyclone Gita, the Hundalees to the south have several fresh work sites with one-way sections.
  • The alternate route via Lewis Pass and Murchison is open 24/7 – as is the Inland Road to Kaikōura via Waiau (Route 70).
  • Check Picton to Christchurch highways here: www.nzta.govt.nz/p2c.   
    Other areas of short delays in the South Island

State Highway 1, south of Ashburton/ Hinds, Rangitata Highway
Crews are completing summer road work 7km south of Hinds on SH1 this week. Two lanes will be available to traffic at all times but there will be temporary speed limits in place until line marking is completed on Good Friday. 

  • This may cause short delays on SH1 between Tilsons Road and Giddings Road, south of Hinds.

How to stay up to date

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