Remutaka Hill (Upper Hutt to Featherston)

We’re making SH2 Remutaka Hill safer with new infrastructure improvements. This work is part of New Zealand’s road safety strategy.

The steep and unforgiving nature of the Remutaka Hill makes it a challenging road to travel over and it’s one of our country’s most high-risk sections of highway. In the last 10 years between 2013 and 2022, there have been 387 crashes on the hill with 32 people losing their lives or being seriously injured.

The improvements are part of a suite of physical safety improvements between Renall Street in Featherston and Twin Lakes Road near Upper Hutt, that were investigated in 2022. 

These safety improvements has been split into two phases.

Phase 1

Location: Remutaka Hill, between the twin bridges and 1.3km north of Marchant Road

Improvements: We’re installing additional side barriers at high-risk locations, along the Remutaka Hill. We’re also installing further motorcycle under-barriers, to improve safety for motorcyclists. The improvements include improved road signage and markings too. 

Project timeline: To help minimise disruption to people travelling over the hill, the installation of the first phase of safety improvements will be timed to coincide with the planned maintenance closures. This approach means that the Phase One safety improvements will most likely be fully completed in 2024, with construction expected to early next year.

Project information: The work will involve closures of the Remutaka Hill at night. To keep up to date with construction timelines and for the latest information about the proposed night closures, visit the ‘SH2 Remutaka Hill road night closures’ page.

SH2 Remutaka Hill road night closures

Phase 2

Location: Renall Street to the Remutaka Hill, and Marchant Road to Twin Lakes Road.

Improvements The second phase of improvements will also include additional side barriers, motorcycle under-barriers and improved road signage and markings. To further reduce the risk of head on crashes, wider centre lines will be installed, where possible, on the section of SH2 between Marchant Road, Kaitoke and Twin Lakes Road, near Upper Hutt.

Project timeline: This phase is in the early stages of detailed design.

View downloadable map of the Remutaka Hill safety improvement works [PDF, 314 KB]

Did you know

  • Road safety improvements like better barriers mean that when a driver makes a mistake, and a crash occurs, it's less likely to result in people being killed or seriously injured.
  • Motorcycle under-barriers can reduce serious injuries and deaths by redirecting riders along the barrier and away from the guardrail posts if they come off their motorbike. Over half the people who have lost their lives or been seriously injured on the Remutaka Hill in the last five years**, have been motorcyclists. These under-barriers will make the hill safer for motorcyclists
  • The new road signage will include the installation of ‘Courtesy Bay’ signs that more clearly signal the places where drivers of slower moving vehicles can safely pull over to allow other vehicles to pass.

Want to find out more about the safety improvements, get in touch today: SH2HuttValley@nzta.govt.nz