Category: Transport

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has signed an initial $5 million establishment contract with Acusensus NZ Limited, to become New Zealand’s new mobile safety camera operator.

NZTA Head of Regulatory Strategic Programmes Tara Macmillan says Acusensus has been involved in mobile safety camera enforcement in Australia for several years and is a highly trusted provider of these services.  

“Acusensus has committed to establishing themselves in New Zealand, and they are in the process of recruiting staff and setting up depots across the country,” Ms Macmillan says. 

NZTA expects to follow the initial six-month establishment contract with a further contract that will run until December 2029, valued at up to $20 million annually. This contract will be for speed-detection only, and based on the number of hours mobile safety cameras are operating. Neither Acusensus or NZTA will receive any incentives or funds from tickets issued. Money from safety camera fines goes into the Government Consolidated Fund. 

Acusenus will only be responsible for providing images to NZTA – they will not decide whether an offence has occurred.  

“NZTA is the enforcement agency for safety camera offences, and we will process all images from the cameras, confirm where a vehicle has been speeding and issue all notices. NZTA will also decide where and when cameras will be located,” Ms Macmillan says.

“Outsourcing the operation of safety cameras gives us access to the latest technology and processes and systems that are proven. It also means that for the first time, we’ll have unmanned mobile safety cameras in trailers alongside the vehicles New Zealanders are used to. This provides significant flexibility for operations – being able to chose the best camera type for the location, saving money and increasing safety for operators. 

Like now, our mobile safety cameras will operate nationwide, anytime and anywhere. Research shows a mix of signed and unsigned safety cameras of various types generates greater road safety benefits than either one alone. That’s why we’re putting up signs at our permanent safety camera sites and keeping mobile cameras unsigned. Unsigned mobile safety cameras are twice as effective at reducing crashes than sign posted mobile cameras.”

International research has shown covert mobile safety cameras can reduce the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on all roads by around 15%. 

Until recently, NZ Police has been solely responsible for fixed and mobile safety cameras, and officer speed detection. With NZTA partnering with NZ Police on speed enforcement we have a combined effort on keeping everyone safe. We expect to start our mobile safety camera operations in the first half of 2025, and NZTA will be responsible for all safety cameras from July 2025. 

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

As part of the State Highway 29 Tauriko Enabling Works project, work is underway on Cambridge Road in preparation for a new signalised intersection with SH29.

To make way for works on this section, a power pole between 561 and 587 Cambridge Road needs to be relocated by approximately 3 metres. While this work is underway there will be traffic management and power outages.

Road users and the local community should prepare for:

• moderate traffic delays on Wednesday 11 December, between 9am to 4pm. There will be stop/go, a 30km/h temporary speed limit, and lane and shoulder closures in place on Cambridge Road (between 561 and 587).
• power outages are planned for the duration of this work. Impacted property owners will be notified by their power providers.

These works have been planned during off-peak traffic hours and can only be done safely during daylight hours.

People travelling on Cambridge Road are asked to drive with extra care through the area and allow extra time for their journeys. Temporary traffic management ensures the safety of all road users, the community, and our teams.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) thanks drivers, local residents and businesses for their patience. 

The SH29 Tauriko Enabling Works are being delivered by NZTA together with Tauranga City Council. Downer is delivering the construction of the project. This work is an important step towards a more efficient and safer intersection of SH29 and Cambridge Road.

Tauriko Enabling Works project page

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

A major bridge on Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway that will allow road users access across the Manawatū River has been completed.

The completion of the concrete deck on the 300-metre-long Parahaki Bridge means both banks of the river are now connected.

The balanced cantilever bridge is now considered ‘structurally complete’ from an engineering perspective, although crews will be continuing to work on it, including the installation of barriers, a viewing deck, drainage and the laying of asphalt.

These are expected to be completed early in the new year.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi project spokesperson Grant Kauri says the bridge has a width of about 30 metres, making it one of the widest bridges of its kind in the southern hemisphere. 

“The Parahaki Bridge is unique in that it’s not straight and flat – it has a curve, a camber and a gradient, so each bridge deck concrete pour was specifically designed and highly complex.”

“It has been a challenging structure because of its location in a fast-flowing river that’s also on a fault line. It’s also located between the Ruahine and Tararua ranges, which creates a wind tunnel.

“When the team started working on the foundation piles, they found the ground conditions were quite difficult. It took a few months longer than expected to get the first piles in the ground.”

Piling was complete by mid-2022 and by December that year the first pier was finished. 

The balanced cantilever method involves constructing the bridge deck in segments, out from the piers.

The concrete segments are poured in situ (in place), rather than being precast and then lifted into position, because the segments would be too heavy to be lifted by crane.

“This is the culmination of years of hard work by many people. We would never have been able to do this without the expertise of all those who have contributed, I’m truly grateful to all the teams who’ve been involved to date.”

Key facts about Parahaki Bridge

• 300 metres long
• 30 metres wide
• 3 piers
• 54 bridge deck segments
• Up to 110 people on site at any one time
• 300,000 mahi hours
• 17,000 cubic metres of concrete used.

Construction of the bridge deck began in September 2023 with the installation of the first form traveller, a pair of streel frames that support the concrete pours. It took the team 13 months to construct all 54 bridge deck segments.

Te Ahu a Turanga construction started in January 2021 and is expected to be completed in mid-2025.

The road will replace State Highway 3 through the Manawatū Gorge, which was closed in 2017 due to landslides. 

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.

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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)