Category: Transport

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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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Takaka/ Golden Bay Easter open each day, 8 am to 8 pm plus new evening longer time slot

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

Headline: Takaka/ Golden Bay Easter open each day, 8 am to 8 pm plus new evening longer time slot

The first truck and trailer unit over the Golden Bay Takaka Hill highway just a week ago.

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

“If there are more small slips as occurred over the past weekend – for example – if it rains heavily, crews will work to maintain the convoys in these advertised times but people should bear in mind there may be delays and check the Transport Agency’s website or social media for updates,” says Frank Porter, NZ Transport Agency System Manager.

Longer weekday and Saturday open hours

The hours for opening the hill road into Golden Bay in the evenings were extended at the end of last week.

The new weekday and (non-Easter) Saturday open hours are 6-8 am mornings and 5-9 pm evenings.

Sundays (outside of Easter) will continue to be open all day as much as possible, 8 am to 8 pm, as crews will not be working on the rebuild of the highway that day.

Permit-only freight and other urgent journeys across the hill are fitted in at midday weekdays and Saturdays. Phone 0800 4 Takaka (0800 482 525) or email takakahill@tasmanjourneys.co.nz

Stay up to date

Traffic and travel pages for usual convoy information

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Work crews on course for mid-week reopening of SH1 north of Kaitaia

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

Headline: Work crews on course for mid-week reopening of SH1 north of Kaitaia

11 pipes which are 2.1 in diameter have been laid to form a new culvert under the road and the stream has been diverted to run through the pipe, says the Transport Agency’s Northland System Manager, Jacqui Hori-Hoult.

Backfilling is now well under way to cover the pipes up to road level. About 5,000 cubic metres of material is needed to fill the gap left after the washout created a hole about 20 metres long and 4-5 metres deep.

“The conditions on site and difficult access have meant progress has been slower than anticipated. Work continued tonight until nightfall. There is no overnight work for safety reasons, but work will resume at first light tomorrow,” says Ms Hori-Hoult.

The road will be built up to create a single lane for traffic to cross, leaving room on both sides for excavators to continue filling in the area around the pipes.

Once the road is reopened, traffic will be managed via stop/go points to allow one direction of traffic through and allow work to continue. Motorists should expect some delays.

“The Transport Agency understands the closure is frustrating and we thank people for their continued patience and understanding, especially towards our road crews on site as they work to reopen the road,” says Ms Hori –Hoult.

Meanwhile, two more successful convoys have gone through the forest tonight with about 20 vehicles in each direction.

The convoys were under police supervision for the forty minute journey along a private forestry track. That route is only open to emergency services outside of the organised convoys.

There will be morning and evening convoys again tomorrow for essential travel only. 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.

If you don’t have to travel, please delay your journey until the road to the top of the North Island is open, says Ms Hori-Hoult.

Schools are open, though pupils who can’t get past the washout have been told to stay at home.

The Transport Agency is continuing to work with local authorities, emergency services and the Ministry of Civil Defence to ensure the welfare of local communities and visitors.

Get real time information from:

For Auckland and Northland

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Springs Road/Halswell Junction Road – Easter alert

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

Headline: Springs Road/Halswell Junction Road – Easter alert

The lane reduction will enable drainage work to take place for the Christchurch Southern Motorway Stage 2 project.

In addition there will be lane or shoulder closures at the south end of the Christchurch Southern Motorway Stage 1 and on Halswell Junction Road leading up to the roundabout with the motorway. Diagrams showing where the roadworks will take place are below.

Please plan ahead and allow extra time for your Easter journey.

 

 

Keep up to date with the latest traffic information:

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