SH2 Wairarapa highway improvements

15 February 2023

February 2023 update

Welcome to our February 2023 update on the SH2 Masterton to Carterton Safety Improvement Project.

A view on the programme

We’re ramping up work on the safety improvements between Masterton and Carterton, with the aim to complete physical work on the three roundabouts, turning facility, and median barriers in spring this year.

Our original plan was to complete work on each of the three roundabouts individually before moving on to the next. We’ll now be constructing each roundabout concurrently. While this means a longer stretch of road will be under construction and therefore under temporary traffic management, it also means the safety improvements will be in place earlier. We’re aiming to complete the roundabouts by mid-year 2023 and the rest of the physical works in spring. This will be followed by final surfacing and line-marking later in the year.

You’ll notice increased construction activity in the area over coming months, with more crews on site working day and night shifts. We appreciate your patience as we complete these important safety improvements.

2023 in full swing

Service relocations are still underway at the Ngaumutawa roundabout and work on the retaining walls has started. You will notice most of the work at this roundabout taking place at night to minimise disruption to traffic, as stop-go traffic management will be in place during this time. This work includes the removal of existing kerbs & footpaths, to allow for the new drainage systems to be installed, new streetlight ducting to be placed, and once that is completed, to preparefor the new kerbing. 
 
Kerbing is currently underway at some “corners” of the Norfolk roundabout, and in the areas where this has been completed you can get an indication of what the final road layout will look like. 

This will be followed by pavement works for the new roundabout. In other areas at the Norfolk intersection the installation of the drainage systems is still ongoing, with kerb preparation and kerbing to follow once drainage is completed.

In the section between Norfolk and Wiltons Road, the old Norman Avenue entrance has now been closed off permanently with the installation of the new W-section barriers now completed.
 
Initial sealing for the Wiltons Road side of the Wiltons roundabout is now completed (final asphalt layers will follow later in the year), and daytime road closures will soon shift to East Taratahi Road, for work to commence on the East Taratahi approach to the new roundabout. This work will include preparation of the pavement for the traffic island, after which it will be sealed.

Between Wiltons Road and the southern turnaround facility, service ducts have been completed, and work is still continuing on laying the base layers for the road widening and preparation for sealing which should take place in the next few weeks, weather permitting. 

On the southbound the permanent W-section barriers have been reinstated in the widened areas, and on the northbound the same will be done after sealing is complete.

Work on the southern turnaround has been rescheduled, which will allow us to dedicate the workforce to completing the three roundabouts and the middle sections of the project.

Road Closures and stop/go traffic management

East Taratahi Road will be closed at SH2 from mid-February 2023 to mid-March 2023 weekdays from 7:00am to 6:00pm for the construction of the Wiltons Roundabout. During this time residents will be able to enter East Taratahi Road via Hughes Line.

Areas of work which is disruptive to traffic and requires stop/go traffic management is done during nightshifts, where possible, to minimise disruption to traffic.

Our crew working on the Masterton to Carterton safety improvements will be off the road from midday Thursday 6th of April until 10:00pm Monday 10th of April for the Easter break.

More information

Thank you to everyone using SH2 for your patience, care and understanding while driving past our work sites.

If you know anyone who might be interested in these updates, they can sign up on this webpage here.

If you have any questions, comments or feedback you can get in touch by phone on 0800 353 824 or email us at SH2Wairarapa@nzta.govt.nz.