Hawke’s Bay highway safety job gets $20 million

State Highway 2 in Awatoto, Napier. Photo NZME

The beachfront highway between Napier and Awatoto, one of the most accident-prone shorter stretches of highway in Hawke’s Bay, is to get a $20 million upgrade over the next two years.

The plans for State Highway 51 from the entrance to Napier at Ellison St to the Ngaruroro River bridge were announced by Waka Kotahi NZTA on Friday.

It includes median strips and a roundabout at the highway intersection with Awatoto Rd and is part of the $2.9 billion Road to Zero programme, aimed at significantly reducing deaths and serious injuries across New Zealand through infrastructure safety improvements.

In August last year, Hawke’s Bay Today reported there had been five fatalities over the previous three years in the 3km from Ellison St to Awatoto Rd.

Waka Kotahi regional manager Infrastructure Delivery Rob Partridge said in a media release on Friday the safety improvements will be delivered in two phases, Phase 1 starting in February and Phase 2 completed by the end of 2024.

Phase 1 will include a flexible median barrier on SH51 (formerly SH2) between Awatoto and Waitangi roads, and a temporary roundabout at the Awatoto Rd, where a permanent roundabout is expected to be put in place in the second phase.

The first phase will also include widening between Awatoto Rd and just south of the SH51-Ellison Street intersection, changing the SH51-Waitangi Rd intersection to one-way “in only” to improve safety at the rail level crossing, and ‘Left in, left out” treatments for existing beach accesses and businesses, with users able to use either Waitangi Rd or the Awatoto Rd roundabout to turn around.

In addition to the permanent roundabout construction, Phase 2 work - likely to begin late next year - will involve installation of flexible median barriers for most of the section between Awatoto Rd and just south of the SH51-Ellison St intersection and installation of side barriers.

“These safety improvements will save lives and prevent serious injuries on this section of highway,” Partridge says. “The works build on previous work done in this area to date to make this road safer for everyone. It has been a journey and we are excited to make it happen.”

The agency says State Highway 51 between Napier and Hastings has been identified as a high-risk corridor.