Improved safety features include road widening, flexible median and roadside safety barriers. These changes will help to reduce the number of death and serious injury crashes along this route.
The safety upgrade of the East Taupō Arterial – which bypasses Taupō – was announced in August 2017 and will be completed in three stages.
In the 10 years between 2014-2023, six people were killed and four people were seriously injured on this 15km stretch of state highway This upgrade will mean the road is more forgiving and crashes are less likely to result in deaths and serious injuries.
The first stage between SH5-Napier Road and Centennial Drive began in March 2020, completed in 2022.
Stage 2, from Centennial Drive to SH5-Wairakei, requires some remedial works before the barriers can be fitted and this may happen in 2024 subject to funding.
Stage 3, a 5km section from SH5-Napier Road south to the airport roundabout, started in January 2024 and is expected to be completed in mid-2024.
|
Stage number |
Location |
Fatal crashes |
Serious |
Minor injury |
Non-injury |
Total overall crashes |
|
Stage 1 |
SH5 Napier Road to Centennial Drive Interchange |
5 |
2 |
7 |
16 |
30 |
|
Stage 2 |
Centennial Drive Interchange to SH5 Wairakei |
1 |
2 |
9 |
25 |
37 |
|
Stage 3 |
SH5 Napier Road to Taupō Airport roundabout |
0 |
0 |
7 |
17 |
24 |
|
Total |
|
6 |
4 |
23 |
58 |
91 |
Next up are similar treatments to the section of SH1 from SH5-Napier Road intersection to the airport roundabout. Design was finalised late in 2023 and construction started in early 2024.
