SH58 safety improvements

 The key benefits of the project include:

• reducing deaths and serious injuries on the road.
• improving the connection between Greater Wellington’s major urban centres - Kapiti and Porirua to the west and the Hutt City and Upper Hutt to the east.
• supporting economic growth by providing better access and more reliable journey times.
• building more resilience for Greater Wellington region’s transport network.

Safety improvements

The work involves realigning curves, widening road shoulders for cyclists and vehicles wanting to pull over, installing median safety barriers, constructing two new roundabouts, a new bridge and bridge widening improvements. This map shows the improvements across the highway.

SH58 safety improvements map [JPG, 414 KB] 

Timeline of safety improvements

Background

Over 14,000 vehicles travel State Highway 58 daily but its poor geometry and roadside hazards continue to contribute to many high severity crashes in recent years. Its five-year crash history includes three fatal and nine serious crashes, and 13 deaths and serious injuries (DSI). These incidents also cause travel time reliability problems from crash related delays and closures of the road.

In recent years there have been rounds of consultation with the community and other stakeholders and this has led to expanding the scope of road safety work on SH58 to achieve greater safety outcomes than originally proposed.

In 2018 the speed limit was lowered from 100km/h to 80km/h. We’re already seeing positive results with a reduction in the speed being travelled by the fastest motorists, while the average speeds across the route have been maintained at just under 80km/h. We also addressed some of the high-risk curves west of Mt Cecil Rd, by straightening them and installing a median barrier.

Initially funding from the National Land Transport Fund was only available for the Stage 1 safety improvements and the design and consenting for Stage 2. Following consultation with the community we implemented interim safety measures in the Stage 2 area during 2019, when Stage 1 construction got underway, to take the pressure off the most dangerous sections of the road. These measures included new line marking, improved lighting, electronic speed indicator devices and larger signage.

In January 2020, funding for the SH58 Stage 2 safety improvements was announced as part of the Government’s multi-billion NZ Upgrade Programme (NZUP). This estimated $59 million investment recognises the importance of road safety and the key role of SH58 in the continued growth of the Greater Wellington regions.

Phases for highway improvements

Cost and funding source