Source: New Zealand Government
Safety improvements will begin soon on State Highway 2 (SH2) at the Moonshine Hill Road intersection at Riverstone Terraces in Upper Hutt, including intersection upgrades and a speed limit review, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.
“In the last five years there have been 65 crashes at this intersection. One was fatal, and five caused serious injuries. It’s clear we need to make this dangerous intersection safer,” Mr Bishop says.
“The upgrades at this intersection will include installing traffic lights to make turning into and out of Moonshine Hill Road safer, with the design closely mirroring the layout of the existing Whakatiki Street intersection to the north. Additional signage and line markings will also improve safety for cyclists.
“To ensure a consistent approach to the speed limit between intersections, and the narrow, curved bridge between them, NZTA will also consult on the speed limit along this section of road.
“From 1 August through to 12 September, NZTA will consult the public to understand their views on the proposed 80km/h speed limit through the SH2 Moonshine Hill Road intersection at Riverstone Terraces to north of the Whakatiki Street intersection in both directions.
“Once consultation is completed, and impacts of a lower speed limit are assessed, a recommendation will be put to the Director of Land Transport to consider. Until that process is complete and any speed limit change announced, the current 100 km/h speed limit remains in place.
“Construction of the intersection upgrades is scheduled to start in October and is expected to be finished by the end of this year.
“I want to thank the local Hutt community for their advocacy for making this intersection safer, and to NZTA for bringing these important improvements forward in their planning.
“I look forward to seeing the safety upgrades completed later this year.”
Notes to Editor:
The signalised intersection being delivered at SH2 and Moonshine Hill Road will not impact southbound SH2 traffic passing the intersection or northbound traffic turning left onto Moonshine Hill Road. The intersection will also not have any raised safety platforms
Because changing a speed limit is a legal process, a speed limit review is required under the Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024. This process requires public consultation, as well as estimates for implementation costs, safety impacts, and travel time impacts.
The Rule sets out how speed limits on New Zealand roads will be managed in a way that supports economic growth, boosts productivity, and enables people to get to where they are going efficiently and safely.
The Rule supports a targeted approach to speed management by focusing future speed reviews on areas of high safety concern, supporting NZ Police to meet speed-related enforcement targets and using variable speed limits outside schools. It also standardises road classes and their speed limits, specifying speed limit ranges for each road type.
