Safety improvements

Along with the speed review there are two projects underway looking at physical safety improvements along State Highway 2.

These projects are in the feasibility design phase – which means that no further phases have been funded yet. Feasibility design is about gathering information and determining the best proposed safety improvements, should the project be funded. At the end of this phase, a Feasibility Report will be produced, revealing the assessment findings and emerging design response. From this point, decisions will be made about next steps.

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Ngāūranga to Upper Hutt

Funding has been approved to carry out feasibility design work for physical safety improvements on 14 sites along 25km of SH2 from Ngāūranga to Upper Hutt (excluding Melling Interchange, which is a separate project).

These sites have been prioritised because they carry a higher risk of people being killed or seriously injured in crashes. This is often due to high speeds and people travelling in many different directions.

The feasibility of safety improvements that are being investigated include intersection speed zones, raised safety platforms, signalised intersections, intersection closures and speed limit changes.

To date, the project team have carried out a range of assessments to identify what safety interventions would be best for consistency, and safety of this specific corridor. The possible treatments we’re presenting aim to reduce potential impact speeds and reduce harm.

Upper Hutt to Featherston (Remutaka Hill)

Funding has also been approved to investigate physical safety improvements between Renall Street in Featherston and Twin Lakes Road near Upper Hutt.

We’ll be looking at signs and road markings, and places where we could add wide centrelines to reduce the risk of head-on crashes.

We’ll also identify possible locations to install more motorcycle underbarrier. Underbarrier can reduce serious injuries and deaths by redirecting riders along the barrier and away from the guardrail posts if they come off their motorbike.

The approaches to the Twin Bridges at Abbotts Creek will also be investigated to see if these can be made safer.