Making SH2 between Ngāūranga and Featherston safer

Kia ora 

Over the next few years, we’ll be making some important safety improvements on State Highway 2 between Ngāūranga and Featherston, and we’re keen to let you know what’s happening. 

Improving safety on New Zealand roads is a priority for Waka Kotahi. New Zealand’s road safety strategy, Road to Zero 2020-2030, tells us what the country needs to do to make our roads safer. It also sets us on a path to achieve Vision Zero, where no one is killed or seriously injured on our roads. 

SH2 is an important, busy road that carries large volumes of people and products every day, connecting Wellington and the Hutt Valley to Wairarapa and beyond.

Over ten years, from 2011-2020 (Crash Analysis System data) there were 2,313 crashes along this highway. These crashes killed 15 people and left 149 people seriously injured. In 2020, there were four people killed, the highest number in the 10-year period.

We need to make changes so that everyone can get around our region safely. Because of this, we’re proposing targeted changes to speed limits, and carrying out physical safety improvements on SH2 between Ngāūranga and Featherston. Consultation on changes to speed limits is taking place now as part of our nationwide Interim State Highway Speed Management Plan.

View detailed information about safety improvements for SH2 from Ngāūranga to Featherston

Ngāūranga to Upper Hutt intersections

Last year we carried out studies on 14 intersections along SH2 between Ngāūranga to Upper Hutt to look at what could be done to improve safety. 

From those studies, we’ve developed a staged approach to making the safety improvements with an initial four intersections in stage 1 to be completed in 2023, and the remaining intersections to be completed progressively in 2024 and 2025.

The high priority intersections on SH2 included in stage 1 are: 

• Moonshine Hill Road – installing new traffic signals and measures to encourage drivers to reduce speeds through the intersection, including a proposed speed limit change
• Hebden Crescent near Owen Street – closing the intersection, installing new barrier and island 
• Hebden Crescent near Liverton Street – changing the intersection to allow left-hand turns only by installing new raised central median barrier and island
• Owen Street – installing new traffic lights to safely control turns in and out. 

When will this happen?

We’re currently designing the details of the improvements and work to make these changes is expected to begin in early 2023. We will keep you informed of the sequencing and timing of the four intersections.

Upper Hutt safety barriers

We are preparing to extend median safety barriers further along SH2 River Road, from Whakatiki Street to Fergusson Drive. These flexible safety barriers, between the intersections, will reduce the risk of head-on crashes, making this busy stretch of road safer.

When will this happen?

We’re currently designing the details of the new barriers and expect work to begin in early 2023, and we will keep you informed of the dates before any construction work begins.

Upper Hutt to Featherston safety improvements

Last year we investigated physical safety improvements between Renall Street in Featherston and Twin Lake Road near Upper Hutt. The measures included improved signs and road markings and wide centreline treatments to reduce the risk of head-on crashes. Additional safety barriers and a motorcycle underbarrier were also included. An underbarrier can reduce serious injuries and deaths by redirecting riders along the barrier and away from the guardrail posts if they come off their motorbike. 

This 22km stretch of road over the Remutaka Hill between Twin Lakes Road and Renall Street (Featherston) is a much-loved but high-risk route for drivers and motorcyclists who enjoy the challenge of the road’s winding curves and hilly contours.  

The improvements include: 

• wide centreline treatments to reduce the risk of head-on crashes  
• improving signs and road markings throughout the route 
• additional and improved safety barriers at high-risk locations 
• adding underbarriers to existing barriers to improve safety for motorcyclists.

When will this happen? 

We’re currently designing the details of these improvements and we have developed a staged approach to implementing them. 

Improved and additional barriers over the Remutaka Hill are expected to be installed in 2023, with the balance of work expected to be carried out from 2024. We will keep you informed of the sequencing and timing of the different improvements.

Have Your Say on speed limits

As part of the Road to Zero programme, we are consulting on new speed limits on SH2 as part of a nationwide Interim State Highway Speed Management Plan (ISMP). This plan is being developed under the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022. Managing speeds through the ISMP is part of delivering Road to Zero. 

The ISMP includes new speed limits on SH2 in the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa, which have been developed to support the infrastructure improvements we are planning for the route, such as at the Moonshine Hill Road intersection, near Owen Street, and over the Remutaka Hill. It also includes other targeted speed limit changes on other state highways in the region. 

You can find out more about these changes and the consultation process at www.nzta.govt.nz/ISMP

More information

For more info about the safety improvements, please visit www.nzta.govt.nz/sh2n2f, or contact us at SH2HuttValley@nzta.govt.nz

We look forward to helping make your community safer.