Zones 1 - 10 on the M2PP Corridor

Kia ora and welcome from the M2PP revocation team,

My name is Dave Dews and I have recently started as Senior Project Manager with the team. 

Since the commencement of the project, our team has been working in Zone 1 (Poplar Ave to Raumati Road) and Zone 2 (Raumati Road to Ihakara Street).  The work in this area has involved installing new stormwater pipes, footpaths, kerbs, driveway accesses and a new roundabout.  We have been working in this area a bit longer than expected, mainly due to the unexpected replacement of a water main.  Over the next few weeks however, you can expect to see our army of orange sticks and cones moving slowly north as we start work on Zone 3 (Ihakara Street to Kapiti lights) starting firstly with a new set of traffic lights for Ihakara Street.

We would like to pass on a sincere thank you to the Old State Highway 1 residents in zones 1 and 2 who have had our crews working directly outside of their homes.  Their manaaki (hospitalilty) has been incredibly appreciated by our team. 

As we move north, customers of Wendy’s hamburgers and Evo cycles are asked to note the temporary change in access to these stores.  We are aware that a few motorists have been using a narrow private lane between the shopping complex and Evo cycles to avoid the Ihakara Street intersection.   We remind motorists that this is not a public throughfare and we will be monitoring this to ensure that it does not place an unnecessary strain on access to these businesess. Access to McDonald’s will operate as normal, traffic however will be down to single lanes and we ask motorists to be considerate. 

With winter now truly upon us, we are concious that visibility on some days can be quite poor and constantly changing road layouts can be confusing.  We have crews working in vunerable positions along the roadside and ask that you consider them and other motorists as you travel through our worksite – please adhere to posted speed limits, remember to turn your headlights on when necessary and exercise patience.

We are working towards an information day shortly to provide the public with an overview of what to expect over the rest of the project including projected timeframes and to introduce new members of our project team, in the meantime, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the team via M2PPRevocation@nzta.govt.nz or 0800 723 775 if you have any suggestions or concerns about these works.

Nga mihi nui,

Dave.

Artists impression of Ihakara Street with traffic lights

Ihakara Street Traffic Lights

Currently underway is the installation of traffic lights at the intersection of Ihakara Street and old State Highway 1. 

The intersection will remain open during the works however the turning lane has been  temporarily removed to make the intersection safer for traffic to exit Ihakara Street.  When an intersection is busy, vehicles travelling behind a turning vehicle can sometimes be obscured from the view of drivers that are trying to exit the intersection.   

The inclusion of roundabouts and traffic lights along the Old State Highway 1 follows from traffic modelling and analysis carried out in 2015-16.  The modeling predicted an increase of traffic around the town centre and Kapiti Road.  Looking out to potential volumes in 2031, the revocation design process investigated ways to leverage off this work to provide future capability to redistribute traffic from Rimu Road to reduce queues and traffic delays.

You can read this report here: SH1 M2PP Revocation Paraparaumu Town Centre Traffic Modelling Report 

Map showing access to businesses on Old State Highway 1

Zone 3a – Ihakara Street to Wharemauku Stream

To limit disruption to nearby businesses, we are approaching Zone 3 in three stages, they are:
       • Zone 3A – Ihakara Street to Wharemauku Stream
       • Zone 3B – Wharemauku Stream to Kapiti Road
       • Zone 3C – Kapiti Road intersection

Work in Zone 3A is expected to start during the week of 19 July 2021 (weather permitting) once we have completed the Ihakara Street light installation.  The temporary speed limit of 50km/h will remain in place.

During this time, this section of road will be reduced to single north and southbound lanes. The Old State Highway 1 access to Wendy’s Hamburgers and Evo Cycles will be unavailable, access to these stores will be available via Ihakara Street.  McDonalds customers will continue to be able to access the store from the Old State Highway.

Main Road, Paraparaumu, Kapiti Coast district, showing business premises including fish and chips shop, furniture store of JD Davisdon Ltd, and dairy. Evening post (Newspaper. 1865-2002) :Photographic negatives and prints of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: EP/1959/2787-F. Alexander Turnbull Library

Quick look back in time

Some of our more seasoned Kapiti Coast residents will have seen considerable changes along Old State Highway 1. 

We have pulled this little gem of the Old State Highway in 1959 from the National Library archives.  The population of the Greater Wellington district at this point was estimated to be around 132,654 (compared to today's estimate of nearly 530,000) and the Kapiti Coast Airport was the Wellington regions main passenger and commercial airport until Wellington International airport opened in October 1959.

We are looking forward to doing a comparison of roads when this section is completed later this year.

More information

For more information on the Mackays to Peka Peka revocation project, contact us at m2pprevocation@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/m2pp-revocation