Ōtaki to north of Levin project update – June 2022

We’re working to build a new highway for regional and through traffic by the end of the decade, as we focus on making travel from Ōtaki to north of Levin safer and more resilient, as well as increasing transport choices and supporting economic growth in the region.

We’ve been busy organising drop-in sessions for the upcoming safety improvements on SH1 between Levin and Foxton – learn more about the proposals below. Meanwhile, engagement is now closed on the new highway preliminary designs and we are working through your feedback, and the SH1 Ōtaki to Levin speed review consultation remains open.

The proposed safety improvements. The green circles indicate turnaround locations, the red circle is the SH1/Waitarere Beach Rd roundabout, the bright blue line is painted wide centrelines, the orange line is side barriers and the dashed dark blue line is median barriers.

Seeking your feedback on SH1 Levin to Foxton

We’re hosting public drop-in sessions for you to learn more about the proposed safety improvements on SH1 between Levin and Foxton. These improvements will make the corridor safer, while work progresses to deliver the new Ōtaki to north of Levin highway within the next decade.

We’ve been working with the Poroutawhao, Waitarere Beach and Koputaroa community since December 2020 to develop safety improvements on this stretch of SH1.

In January 2021, we recorded community feedback and summer holiday road safety observations to combine local knowledge with road crash data. In the time since, we’ve developed these safety improvements in discussion with Ngati Raukawa most impacted marae, stakeholders and community group representatives. The 2km of SH1, between Foxton and Whirokino Trestle, are vulnerable to head-on crash risk and were added to our project.

In the five years from 2016 to 2020, there were 16 serious crashes on SH1 between Levin and Foxton. These crashes resulted in six people dying and 17 people being seriously injured.

We’re seeking feedback on plans to build a new roundabout at the SH1/Waitarere Beach Road intersection, stretches of side and median barriers, wide painted centrelines and turnarounds.

• The stretches of median barriers between Foxton and north of the Mitchpine mill are designed to reduce the risk of head-on crashes in this high-risk area, and transition traffic off the new highway when travelling north. Three new sign-posted turnarounds, in addition to the turnaround already available underneath the Manawatū River Bridge would provide safe places for traffic to turn right across the highway in these areas.
• The stretches of wide centrelines would provide more space between you and oncoming vehicles, while short sections of side barriers in this area protect from roadside hazards such as power poles.
• The SH1/Waitarere Beach Road roundabout is designed to slow approaching vehicles and make it easier for you to choose the right time to enter flowing traffic. The proposed roundabout includes concrete lane separation on all approaches and space for people to bicycle around the intersection away from people in vehicles.

We’d also like to hear your thoughts on the current speed limits on SH1 between the 70/100km on The Avenue, Levin and the 100/50km change south of Foxton.

We want to know what feels safe to you in different situations, to help us determine whether speeds are right for this road.

You can find out more online at our website. You will be able to submit your feedback using our interactive map from tomorrow until Thursday 7 July 2022.

Please see the table below for the list of drop-in sessions. If you can’t make our sessions and would like to discuss the project further, please email O2NL@nzta.govt.nz or phone 0508 625 4636.

Drop-in session at the Ō2NL Levin project office on 21 May 2022.

Community engagement on the new highway

In April and May, we hosted a series of community drop-in sessions about the preliminary concept designs of the new highway, inviting feedback and local knowledge to help ensure the new highway serves the community well and we manage any effects appropriately. More than 300 people came along to these sessions to find out more about this latest project update and have a chat to the team.

We had nearly 9,000 hits on our preliminary design fly-through video, countless conversations and received 86 completed survey forms. Thank you to everyone who took the time to come along to these events, we really appreciate the feedback and the chance to learn more from locals.

The feedback will be analysed in the coming weeks, and we will update you later this year with a full engagement report.

Neighbourhood groups
We would like to welcome neighbour groups who are interested in talking with the project team to find out more about the new highway to get in touch. We’ve been meeting with some groups of neighbours to talk to them about what the new highway will mean for them in their area.

If you are interested in setting up a meeting in your neighbourhood, please contact us at O2NL@nzta.govt.nz or 0508 625 4636.

Ō2NL video update

Waka Kotahi Director Regional Relationships Linda Stewart, noise specialist Michael Smith and ecologist Alex James give a short update on the new highway project. Watch the video by clicking the preview below.

SH1 Ōtaki to Levin speed limit consultation still open

Consultation on the proposed new speed limits on SH1 between Ōtaki and Levin remains open. This is your chance to make a formal submission on the proposed speed limits – which will be considered before we make a final decision on any speed change.

Find out more about the proposed speed changes on our website and place your submission online with our Survey Monkey, or email O2NL@nzta.govt.nz.

Submissions close on Wednesday 15 June 2022.

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.