Ōtaki to north of Levin project update – November 2021

We’re working to build a new highway for regional and through traffic by the end of the decade, as part of our programme to make travel from Ōtaki to north of Levin safer and more resilient and increase transport choices for the area’s growing population.

Conversations with property owners on potential highway effects

Last week, we wrote to people who own properties within the new highway’s 300m-wide preferred corridor to let them know about potential effects on access to their property, or their water bores.  As we identify potential effects of the highway, we’re keen to meet with property owners and discuss these, along with how we might be able to help mitigate these effects.

We are considering effects on properties in the surrounding area as well as in the highway’s preferred corridor, and will continue to have conversations with property owners as this work progresses. 

In early 2022 we will be engaging with the wider community about the new highway. Our investigations for this project help identify the impact on people, property and the environment and we want to be able to deliver the new highway in a way that minimises or even avoids as many potential effects as possible - this includes changes to noise and landscape.

Higgins contractor Gary Craddock compacting the centre island on the southbound SH57 approach to the new roundabout at the Queen Street intersection.

SH57 safety improvement construction continues

The construction of the State Highway 57 safety improvements is progressing between the SH1 intersection and Heatherlea East Road. Relocation of unexpected services have meant some delays in delivering the new roundabout and side barriers. We are still on target for the roundabout to open to traffic early next year.

The construction of the roundabout will pause to allow for holiday traffic between 22 December 2021 and 8 January 2022.

Our teams will start widening shoulders and installing safety barriers in early 2022.

Project office open day in November

The Ō2NL project office in Levin will be open to the public on 18 November between 10am and 6pm. Project team members will be available to answer questions about all the projects within the Ō2NL programme of works.

The Ō2NL Project Office is at 171 Oxford Street, Levin

No appointment is necessary.

Ō2NL November Community Group meetings

In early September the Ō2NL Community Groups met over Zoom to discuss a range of topics relating to our RMA work programme. These meetings covered ecology, air and water quality and an update on noise.

The final round of Community Group meetings for 2021 is planned for the second week of November. These meetings are the best way to find out more about the current investigations underway for the new highway.

During the November meetings we’ll provide an update on construction (high level overview of likely construction process) and archaeology (overview of historic themes and key sites of interest in the project area and how they’ll be protected). This round of meetings will be combined and you’re welcome to attend either of them.

Wednesday 10 November, 6pm-7pm at Manakau School Huia, 9 Mokena Kohere Street
Thursday 11 November, 6pm-7pm at Ō2NL Project Office, 171 Oxford Street, Levin

If you are not signed-up for these meetings and would like to be please email us at O2NL@nzta.govt.nz and we can also provide a Zoom meeting invite for those wishing to attend remotely.

189 comments were received on our interactive Social Pinpoint map.

Report on Ōtaki to Levin speed and safety improvement engagement

During July and August we spoke with more than 250 people at events from Ōtaki to Levin about proposed safety improvements, and we asked people their thoughts on current speed limits.

From 14 July to 11 August there were:

• 11 events held
• 250+ attendees
• 241 online users
• 266 Post-It notes at events
• 189 Social Pinpoint comments online
• 18 surveys completed
• 18 emails received.

Thanks very much to those of you who provided feedback.  The report on this engagement is now available on our website:

• Engagement report on SH1 Ōtaki to Levin safety improvement and speed

Your feedback is helping us progress the design. Following this, we will seek funding to construct the safety improvements, and we will then share final designs.

On the speed review, the next step will be sharing proposed new speeds as part of a formal consultation. These proposed speeds are currently being developed using our technical assessment and feedback from this engagement stage.

Our contractors make sure everybody present on the SH57 worksite is kept safe.

Visitors to SH57 construction site well looked after

Coming up next

The Ōtaki to north of Levin team continue to work to the timeline we shared with you last August:

More information

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/o2nl to find out about our work in the corridor or check out:

• www.nzta.govt.nz/o2nl-proposed-new-highway for information on the new highway, or
• • www.nzta.govt.nz/o2nl-safe-speeds, to find out more about speed, or
• www.nzta.govt.nz/o2nl-safer-roads-and-roadsides to find out more about the work to make our existing roads and roadsides safer.

Our email newsletters will let you know when there is new information on our website.

Do you know people who want to know more? They can subscribe here.

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