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Ōtaki to north of Levin update

20 November 2024


	NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Muaūpoko Tribal Authority, local hapū of Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga and council partner Horowhenua District Council are working together to create a positive legacy for the region while we build a new, safer, efficient, and more reliable State Highway 1 (SH1) from Ōtaki to north of Levin. In this newsletter, we’d like to give you updates on the Ō2NL site investigations, the upcoming investigation work ahead of construction of the SH57/ Tararua Road roundabout and the Levin to Foxton safety improvement project. We’d also like to take the opportunity to thank local kura for their artistic contributions to the project offices, invite you to this week’s project office open day and provide an update on the new Kāpiti Expressway speed limit now in place.



	Ō2NL ground and earthwork investigations progressing well Our ground and earthwork investigations have been going well over the past five weeks. We’ve been drilling, taking samples, and carrying out surveys to check the soil’s stability, composition, and water content. This information helps us plan the next steps of the project, including final design. We’ve also started larger earthworks trials, which include digging out large areas to create test pads and installing environmental controls. We’re working closely with residents and neighbours to keep them updated on our programme, allowing time for moving livestock and managing access to properties. Wet weather or ground conditions can sometimes delay our work, and we’d like to thank residents for their patience. Our investigations team will take a Christmas break and start again in early January 2025. We’ll continue to update you on site investigation progress and share more details about how the findings are shaping our overall programme.



	SH57/ Tararua Road roundabout – investigation works We’re pleased to share an update on the State Highway 57/ Tararua Road roundabout, a project partnership between NZTA and Horowhenua District Council. The new roundabout at Tararua Road and SH57 will immediately improve safety at this busy intersection and will also provide a connection to the Tara-Ika growth area and, in the future, the new Ōtaki to north of Levin highway. A contract has been awarded to Fulton Hogan who will complete the construction of the new roundabout. Before the main works can begin, the construction team will be conducting investigation works to assess services and confirm the design of the roundabout. Investigation work will be underway Monday 2 December until Friday 13 December, with crews working between 7am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. During this time, a 4-way stop/go traffic management system will be in place, with a 30km/h speed limit through the site. We expect that there may be delays of up to 10 minutes and ask you to plan your travel with these works in mind. To minimise disruption to holidaymakers, traffic management won’t be in place over the Christmas period. Main roundabout works Construction of the roundabout is expected to start early next year. We’ll provide more information about this work in our next update.



	SH1 Levin to Foxton safety improvements If you’ve driven on SH1 between Levin and Foxton recently you may have noticed that the turnaround facility is starting to come together. Some kerbing has gone in, lighting has been installed, and the road rebuilt. The road has been rebuilt using a Foam Bitumen Stabilisation (FBS) treatment. This involves recycling existing material and injecting it with a foamed bitumen (bitumen and water mixed at high speed) to add strength. The team is now focused on installing traffic islands at the turnaround and completing chip sealing which will then be followed by an asphalt seal. The intersection of SH1 and Koputaroa Road will remain closed until mid-December while this work is completed. On SH1 itself road widening is almost complete. Once this is finished, the team will complete chip sealing, line marking, and finish drainage work in preparation for flexible median barrier to be installed in the new year. We appreciate everyone’s patience while we work to make this stretch of highway safer. For more information about the project, visit nzta.govt.nz/levin-to-foxton.



	Project office open day tomorrow - Thursday 21 November Our next Ōtaki to north of Levin project office open day is tomorrow, Thursday, 21 November from 1pm - 5pm. Please join us at 171 Oxford Street, Levin to speak with the team about the new highway and other projects in your area. If you’d like to talk with the team between events, you can email us at O2NL@nzta.govt.nz or phone 0508 625 4636.



	Thank you to local kura artists! A few months ago, the Ōtaki to north of Levin project reached out to local kura asking for their creative help in bringing Ōtaki and Horowhenua to life for members of the project team based further afield. With some of our team of designers based in Auckland, we invited local tamariki and rangatahi to create artworks showing what they love about where they live. We received so many fantastic pieces of art that are now displayed in the Auckland and Wellington project offices. We would like to extend a huge thank you to the students at Fairfield, Levin, Koputaroa and Poroutawhao Schools and Waiopehu College who have contributed to making sure our offices have a piece of Ōtaki and Horowhenua, connecting our team to the region and bringing joy, colour and inspiration while working on the new highway.



	Kāpiti Expressway speed changes A 110km/h speed limit is now in place for 24.5km of the Kāpiti Expressway, from north of Poplar Avenue/Raumati interchange to south of the Ōtaki northern interchange. Please remember: 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 keep left unless passing other people 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, and NZ Police will be applying the same speed enforcement along the Kāpiti Expressway – this includes stopping drivers who choose to speed. More information at nzta.govt.nz/kapitispeed

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/o2nl to find out about the new highway and other projects happening in this corridor.

For more information on the Ōtaki to north of Levin programme, contact us at O2NL@nzta.govt.nz or call 0508 625 4636.

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