Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Upper Hutt residents and regular travellers between the Hutt Valley and the Remutaka Hill on State Highway 2 can look forward to safer travels in the future.
Roxanne Hilliard, Wellington Transport Alliance Manager, says safety improvements and road rebuild work are planned near Totara Park from late April until late June.
“Contractors will undertake various improvements, beginning with drainage work in April and May, a road rebuild in May/early June, and installing new median safety barriers and line marking from May to late June.”
“This is a significant project, and we expect to be on-site for approximately nine weeks, weather permitting,” Ms. Hillard says.
She says the result will be a much better and safer stretch of State Highway 2.
“To rebuild the road, we will need to excavate the highway to around 300mm and rebuild it from the base up. This means drivers will experience an uneven surface during the day and can expect a temporary lower speed limit in place at times.”
Ms. Hilliard says the planned drainage work is critical for keeping water away from the road to help prevent potholes.
And she says the median barriers will help improve the route’s safety. “They are the most effective tool for preventing head-on crashes, which is how many people are killed or seriously injured on our roads.”
“Contractors will install new barriers between Totara Park Road and Fergusson Drive. This continues work started in 2023, where median safety barriers were installed between the Whakatiki Street and Gibbons Street intersections,” Ms. Hilliard says.
Ms. Hilliard says the project will require nighttime road closures while the work is underway.
“The size and scope of the project means this is unavoidable, but scheduling the works together means we make the best use of time and get all the work done in one hit.”
Due to closures and detours, road users should expect nighttime travel delays in the area until the work is completed. Drivers are advised to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.
These works are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled if bad weather occurs
Works Schedule:
- Late April to mid-May – drainage works
- Nighttime southbound closure
- SH2 open in both directions during the day under a temporary speed limit
- Mid-May to early June – road rebuild works
- Full nighttime closure
- SH2 open in both directions during the day under a temporary speed limit
- Early June to late June – median barrier works
- Full nighttime closure
- SH2 open in both directions during the day under a temporary speed limit
- Full nighttime closure
- Detour via Fergusson Drive and Totara Park Road
- SH2 open in both directions during the day
More Information:
- Research shows median barriers virtually eliminate head-on crashes and reduce deaths and serious injuries from run-off-road crashes by around 40 to 50 percent.
- Head-on crashes are the leading cause of death on state highways and account for approximately half of all deaths recorded. Safety barriers offer a second chance. They help reduce the chance of a simple mistake costing lives and destroying families.
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