Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is aiming to start safety improvements on State Highway 3 between New Plymouth and Egmont Village in the first half of 2023.
In response to community feedback, Waka Kotahi has prioritised the intersections at Junction Street and Mangorei Road for structural improvements to increase safety for everyone who uses the highway.
Through conversations with key stakeholders and the community on a range of proposed improvements, the clear feedback was to prioritise safety at intersections, says Senior Project Manager, Sree Nutulapati.
“As a result, we’ve divided the wider New Plymouth to Egmont Village project into two stages so we can deliver intersection improvements as soon as possible.
“In the first stage, we’ll make improvements to the Junction St intersection before starting construction of a roundabout at the Mangorei Road intersection.”
Work at the Junction St intersection will comprise:
- Widening of the centreline north and south of the Junction St intersection, covering 1km in total – to allow for the future installation of wire rope median barriers.
- Removal of the southbound passing lane at Junction St to reduce risk – at approximately 420m this passing lane is much shorter than the recommended minimum length range of 600m-800m to allow for safe overtaking.
- Public consultation in early 2023 on the possible installation of an Intersection Speed Zone.
If confirmed following public consultation, the Intersection Speed Zone would temporarily reduce the SH3 speed limit to 60km/h when traffic is approaching the highway from Junction St or turning right into Junction St from the highway.
Following community feedback, people will still be able to make right turns out of Junction Street, reducing the likelihood of adding to congestion on the local network.
Waka Kotahi aims to start construction of the works at Junction St in the first half of 2023, with the Mangorei Rd roundabout beginning later in the year, subject to funding and contractor availability.
The second stage of the New Plymouth to Egmont Village safety improvements project – which includes wire rope median barriers, passing lane changes and safe turning opportunities – is also targeted to start in late 2023. Any future changes to speed limits on this section of SH3 will be appropriate for the road after any infrastructure improvements have been made.
These safety improvements will contribute to the New Zealand Road Safety Strategy, Road to Zero, which sets the country on a path to achieve Vision Zero – an Aotearoa New Zealand where no one is killed or seriously injured on our roads.
Road to Zero sets an initial target of reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on the country’s roads by 40% by 2030.
The 9.75km stretch of SH3 between New Plymouth to Egmont Village has been prioritised due to its high safety risk, with 77 crashes reported between 2016 and 2020. Waka Kotahi continues to develop plans for safety improvements along SH3 between Egmont Village and Hāwera.
