SH2 Wairarapa highway improvements

13 January 2023

Permanent new speed limits - SH2 Masterton to Featherston

New safer speed limits will come into effect along State Highway 2 (SH2) between Masterton and Featherston from 27 January 2023. This includes new speed limits in the four townships along the route, in Masterton, Carterton, Greytown and Featherston.

We know that no matter what causes a crash, speed will always be the difference between someone dying, or walking away unharmed. That’s why we’re making the speed limits safer for everyone who uses our roads.

Speeds on SH2 between Masterton and Featherston have been reviewed because this route was identified as one of the higher risk roads in the Wairarapa region due to traffic volume, certain intersections, speed and roadside hazards, such as power poles.

There’s been a high number of crashes on this section of SH2, between January 2010 and December 2019 there were 488 crashes. Four people were killed and 28 people suffered serious injuries in these crashes, leaving families and communities grieving and many people with life-long injuries. 

View the full list of speed limit changes, as well as maps, on our website here.

The decision on the new speed limits follows a thorough technical assessment of the road, considering factors like crash history, road environment and the speeds people generally travel at, as well as feedback received during consultation from the general public and stakeholders.

During consultation we received more than 1,308 pieces of feedback on the proposed speed limit changes, as well as proposed infrastructure improvements between Masterton and Carterton. Thank you to everyone who took the time to get in touch and share their thoughts. Your feedback gave valuable insight into how people use this road.

You can read what others had to say in their submissions, and a consultation summary on our website.

What is Road to Zero

Road to Zero, New Zealand’s road safety strategy, has a vision of an Aotearoa where no one is killed or seriously injured on our roads. Waka Kotahi is one of many partners involved in making New Zealand's transport system safer so that Vision Zero can be realised.

To achieve Vision Zero, we need to create a safe transport system which recognises that people make mistakes and is designed so that these mistakes do not need to cost lives.

This requires a mix of solutions that combine to keep people safe, including setting safe speed limits, improving the safety of roads and roadsides, and encouraging people to buy the safest vehicles they can afford.

We previously launched a national public awareness campaign. If you haven't yet seen our TV advertisement, you can watch it here.

Resources are available to help you learn more about Road to Zero and Vision Zero, and join this important conversation. Resources include:

• Vision Zero 10-minute e-learning module
• Road to Zero 101 video
• Language guide
• Social media tiles
• Posters and more!

You can read more about Road to Zero on our website. You can also check out this video which explains all the things that go into setting a speed limit.