Engagement Report Available

Kia ora,

Last year we asked you, as residents of the Hutt Valley and the Wellington region, and people who regularly use State Highway 2, to share your views on speed and safety on the road between Ngāūranga and Featherston. We have now uploaded the engagement report on our website. 

SH2 is an important route connecting Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Wairarapa and beyond. It’s used by thousands of people every day for commuting to and from work, for people on holiday and visiting friends and whānau. It’s also an important freight corridor into and out of our capital city. But we know this road is dangerous in some places – 15 people died and 149 were seriously injured in the ten years from 2011 to 2020. Four people died in 2020 alone. 

Under Road to Zero, New Zealand’s road safety strategy, we have a target of reducing the number of people being killed and seriously injured on the road nationwide by 40% in 2030, and SH2 has been identified as a route where safety improvements and safer speeds can help achieve this goal.

During the engagement period we heard from 292 people on our online Social Pinpoint channel, who made 1102 comments in total. 51 people emailed feedback to us, 65 people commented during our virtual meetings and 11 organisations made formal written submissions. 

We also received the online petition Make the intersections in Upper Hutt safe which was signed by over 4800 people.

The feedback showed that there are a range of views in the community. Many of you agree that some of the intersections on State Highway 2 are unsafe and need improving. Many of you want to see more major projects in the long term, like the SH2/SH58 interchange which was completed in recent years, and the Melling interchange which will be delivered soon as part of RiverLink.

Some comments called for slower speed limits, either in general terms or in specific areas, while some people felt all speed limits should be retained or increased so that journeys are not slowed down. Many comments expressed frustration about congestion. More details of what we heard are contained in the report. 

We acknowledge the full range of views shared, and we are keeping the feedback in mind as we move forward with safety improvements.

We are determined to reduce the number of people dying on SH2. We want everyone who uses it to get where they're going safely.

In the coming months we will share plans for safer intersection designs and targeted changes to speed limits to address the most dangerous parts of SH2 between Ngāūranga and Featherston. These changes will be designed to complement the major projects we are investing in like Te Ara Tupua and RiverLink.

Ngā mihi,

State Highway 2 Safety Project Team

Cornish Street closure an early safety improvement

Cornish Street in Petone was previously connected to SH2 with a left turn entry. In 2021, it was used by a driver who entered the northbound lanes of SH2 the wrong way, heading south against the flow of traffic, ending in a fatal crash. It was located on a bend, with a short merge lane and poor visibility. Its entrance from SH2 has now been closed. 

Consultation with local businesses showed that most were comfortable with the closure and several strongly supported it to improve safety in their street. Hutt City Council supported the closure too, and is proposing further traffic calming and safety measures on the local road. 

The intersection has now been closed with a temporary change to the road layout, while permanent barriers will be installed later this year. A safer alternative access to the area is approximately 500m north on SH2 at Priests Avenue.

More information

You are recieving this because you have either subscribed to email updates on the SH2 Ngāūranga to Featherston speed and safety project, or because you have provided your email address when making comments during the engagement period.

For more information on the SH2 Ngāūranga to Featherston speed review, contact us at SH2HuttValley@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/sh2n2f