Map showing new speed limits affecting Te Awamutu-to-Hamilton drivers.
Map showing new speed limits affecting Te Awamutu-to-Hamilton drivers.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is moving to make state highways in and around Hamilton city safer, with new speed limits in place from next month.
State highways 1, 3 and 26 are crucial roads through the Waikato's largest city, and there have been calls to make these roads safer by reducing the speed for some time.
Between 2009 and 2018 there were 1311 reported crashes on these roads, with 10 people killed and 61 seriously injured.
Waka Kotahi has reviewed what the safe and appropriate speeds should be and the legal process to change the speed limits will be completed on December 10, with signs installed soon after. Once the signs are in place, drivers will be required to comply with the new speed limits.
Director of regional relationships David Speirs says several factors go into setting safe and appropriate speeds.
"We looked at the number of people who use these roads and the various ways they use them, as well as the features of the roads and the surrounding environment," he says.
"These city highways are high volume with pedestrians and cyclists mixing with general traffic.
"A small reduction in speed makes a big difference in the outcome of crashes. It determines whether anyone is killed, injured or walks away unharmed."
Waka Kotahi has reviewed what the safe and appropriate speeds should be and the legal process to change the speed limits will be completed on 10 December.
The signs will be installed as soon as possible after this date, and it will take some time, including working at night, to install the numerous signs.
Once the signs are installed, drivers will be required to comply with the new speed limits.
For Te Awamutu travellers there are several changes that will affect their trip.
"We had a lot of feedback from people asking for safety improvements to be made at the intersection between Raynes Rd and SH3/Ōhaupō Rd, as they didn't feel safe pulling out of Raynes Rd onto the highway," says David.
The new speed limit through this section of SH3 will be 80km/h, linking the existing Rukuhia Village 80km/h speed zone through to just south of the new SH3 Ōhaupō Rd/Southern Links roundabout. It replaces the previous 100km/h zone for that stretch of road.
David says Waka Kotahi will also be putting in an intersection speed zone (ISZ) at Raynes Rd as extra protection.
Intersection speed zones use electronics to temporarily reduce the speed limit on main roads when vehicles are detected turning in or out of a side road. Photo / Supplied
"This is expected to be completed in mid-2022, and it will mean the speed limit will temporarily reduce to 60km/h when the electronic signs detect someone turning in or out of Raynes Rd," he says.
Planning is also under way to upgrade the T-intersection at the Raynes Rd/SH1 intersection to a roundabout to further improve safety.
Waka Kotahi is now undertaking the feasibility study, and it is hoped this can then move on to construction within the next one to two years. The ISZ will remain in place until the roundabout is fully operational.
From the SH3 Ōhaupō Rd/Southern Links roundabout, the 70km/h limit to near Resthill Cr and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Mangakōtukutuku Campus will be reduced to 60km/h and from there to either the Kahikatea Drive (SH1)/Ōhaupō Rd (SH3) intersection (near Waikato Hospital) or the Lorne St (SH1)/Normandy Ave intersection the speed limit is reduced to 50km/h.
The new 60km/h speed limit will also replace the temporary 50km/h speed limit around the SH3 Ōhaupō Rd/Southern Links roundabout.
The setting of the permanent speed limits follows engagement with police, the AA, Hamilton City Council and road user groups, and consultation with the public.
"We thank all those who provided their feedback on the proposed speed limits. There were many suggestions for other ways to improve the safety of these routes and we are looking into opportunities to implement more safety improvements."
More information on the permanent speed limits and our consultation summary, including the submissions, can be found at www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/hamilton-city-speed-review.
This speed review is aligned to New Zealand's Road Safety Strategy, Road to Zero 2020- 2030 and a programme of work delivering safety improvements, including speed management, on our highest-risk intersections and roads nationwide.
Through these safety improvements, Waka Kotahi aims to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.
