Hawke's Bay Today reporter Doug Laing takes a closer look at the state of the Napier Taupo highway on the first day open to the public since Cyclone Gabrielle. Video/Warren Buckland
Parts of State Highway 5, between Napier and Taupō, could return to a 100 kilometre per-hour speed limit, the proposed Hawke’s Bay Regional Land Transport plan says.
The plan for a $5.5 billion transport spend across the region over the next 10 years was released this week and features a variety of projects and repairs, to support the Cyclone Gabrielle rebuild of the region’s roading network.
It includes proposals for all parts of the transport network, but the SH5 speed limit will be of particular interest to motorists.
The highway could go back to 100km/h between Te Pohue and Glengarry, Hawke's Bay Regional Council's proposed new transport plan says. Photo / Warren Buckland
At a cost of $750 to $830 million, a “medium to long-term programme” of improvements has been put forward to increase the safety of parts of SH5, which will allow an increase to the speed limit from the 80 km/h limit that came into effect in February 2022.
The plan says the speed limit would increase to 90km/h from Te Haroto to Te Pohue and up to 100km/h from Te Pohue to Glengarry. Plans are still to be finalised for Glengarry to Eskdale.
Wide centrelines, shoulder widening, roadside barriers, road and curve realignments and central barriers are among the improvements that would see a lift in the speed limit in those areas where a change is already planned.
The draft proposals have been approved by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Transport Committee, which is made up of the region’s four district councils, regional council and NZTA Waka Kotahi as voting members.
Public consultation has opened and people have until April 14 to respond.
The 10-year plan covers subjects such as road, rail and air travel, public transport, vehicle emissions, the Port of Napier and individual items such as the expansion of the Hawke’s Bay Expressway to four lanes.
News of the proposed speed limit rise was welcomed by Act Party leader, and Minister of Regulation, David Seymour, who was in the region on Thursday to tour Rockit Apples, Ravendown and schools such as St Joseph’s in Hastings.
The 80km/h on State Highway 5 could become a thing of the past. Photo / NZME
“I visited America during the Christmas break, and they have many problems, but it feels like a country where they’re trying to make life easier and more enjoyable,” Seymour told Hawke’s Bay Today.
“For too long it felt like the Government was trying to make life harder and less enjoyable and that 80km/h to Taupō really just summed that up.
“There was no good justification for it, it’s people wielding power just because they can and the new Government - and I commend the Transport Minister Simeon Brown - has put in place something that Act had in its coalition agreement to start reversing those stupid changes.
“As we said prior to the election ‘we hear ya, these speed restrictions make no sense’ and if it means that we get a little bit closer to a country that is actually there to make your life easier and more enjoyable then all power to it.”
Hamish Bidwell joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2022 and works out of the Hastings newsroom.
