Te Ara Tūtohu: Waitara to Bell Block

22 May 2025

Kia ora!

Read on for news and updates on Te Ara Tūtohu: SH3 Waitara to Bell Block.

SH3/Waitara Road roundabout to open by 28 May

The brand-new roundabout at the intersection of State Highway 3 (SH3) and Waitara Road in Taranaki will be open by Thursday 28 May.

The roundabout, the second to be built as part of Te Ara Tūtohu: SH3 Waitara to Bell Block safety improvements, will improve safety and provide smoother journeys for people travelling through this busy intersection.

The roundabout is a key component of Te Ara Tūtohu which is delivering improvements to SH3 between Waitara and Bell Block to make the road safer and support growth.

The intersection of SH3 and Waitara Road is busy, with many vehicles regularly turning on and off the highway – especially during peak times. The new roundabout will make the now 4-way intersection easier and safer to navigate – improving journeys for everyone.

We have also completed significant stormwater upgrades and made safety improvements to the intersection of Tate Road and Raleigh Street. By 28 May we also will have completed rebuilds of 2 sections of the highway to maintain its reliability and longevity.

We know that construction of the roundabout has been disruptive and appreciate the patience and understanding of the local community and road users during construction.

While the roundabout is complete, there is still some work to complete on Raleigh Street between SH3 and Tate Road, including constructing a large stormwater swale and turning the section of road into a cul-de-sac – with access via SH3.

While this work is underway, access to Raleigh Street from Tate Road will be restricted to people accessing C&C Autos and Brixton Motors only.

This work is expected to be complete by mid-July.

The roundabout at the intersection of SH3 and De Havilland Drive will be the next built. Construction is expected to start towards the end of the year.

Princess Street roundabout and pedestrian underpass flyover

It’s been almost a year since we opened the Princess Street Roundabout and pedestrian underpass. Since then, it’s provided safe and efficient access for people travelling through this busy intersection.

Watch the flyover above to get a bird’s-eye-view of the roundabout in action.

Princess Street flyover

Meet Calvin - Project Manager, NZTA

Can you tell us about your role in the project and what your work involves?

In my role as a Senior Project Manager, I lead the Te Ara Tūtohu team to deliver the project on time and as planned. My work involves project planning, communicating with our stakeholders, and managing risks. I also mentor team members and continuously look for ways to improve delivery.

What inspired you to pursue a career in this field?

I’ve always enjoyed solving problems, delivering results, and seeing ideas come to life. Project management and engineering let me do all of that in my career.

Can you share a recent success story or a moment you’re particularly proud of from this project?

A recent moment was the discovery of the rifle pits within our project site. The team’s ability to manage the discovery properly and ensure these pieces of history are preserved and treated with care is something to be proud of.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time when you’re not working on the project?

Spend time with my family, often around a BBQ. As an aviation enthusiast, I also enjoy researching and studying anything aerospace related.

Speed limits on SH3 Waitara to Bell Block to reverse on 26 May

The 80km/h speed limit on 2 sections on State Highway 3 (SH3) between Waitara and Bell Block will reverse to the previous speed limit of 100km/h on Monday 26 May 2025.

The sections are:

• SH3 Waitara. 430m east of Princess St to 300m east of Bayly Street.
• SH3 Bell Block East. East of Mahoetahi Rd to 400m west of Princess Street.  

We are making this change in line with the Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024 (the Rule) which legalises the Government’s expectation that speed limits on New Zealand’s roads will be managed in a way that supports economic growth, boosts productivity, and enables people to get to where they are going quickly and safely.

The new Rule requires the speed limit to reverse to the original higher speed limit by 1 July 2025, unless there is majority public support to keep the lower speed limit.

Earlier in the year, we consulted to understand support levels for retaining the lower speed limits on these sections of SH3.

Public support for retaining the speed limits did not the meet the required level with less than 50 per cent of respondents wishing to retain the lower speed limits.

The speed limit is the maximum speed – and not the target. Anytime you’re travelling you should adjust your speed depending on the weather conditions and your environment.

If you’re driving heavy vehicles or towing, 90km/h is still the maximum speed you can travel when the speed limit is 100km/h or higher.

NZ Police will be enforcing the 100km/h speed limit along this section – this includes stopping drivers who choose to speed.

If you have any questions, please contact the speed management team by emailing CNIspeedmanagement@nzta.govt.nz.

For more information on how we are implementing the new Rule, visit our website.

State highway speed management

More information

For more information on Te Ara Tūtohu: Waitara to Bell Block, contact us at w2bb@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/w2bb