SH3 Napier Road speed review and infrastructure improvements

5 December 2022

Kia ora koutou katoa

Journeys for people traveling on State Highway 3 Napier Road between Sutton Place and Macpherson Grove will soon be safer, with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency announcing a new safer permanent speed limit.

Waka Kotahi consulted with the public and stakeholders in June 2022 on the proposal to extend the Palmerston North urban 50km/h zone on SH3 Napier Road, past the Bupa Riverstone Retirement Village entrance.

From 16 December 2022, the permanent speed limit will be 50km/h from 20m north of Sutton Place to 180m east of Macpherson Grove.

The extension of the urban 50km/h speed zone follows speed changes implemented along SH3 Napier Road between Palmerston North and Ashhurst in June 2022.

We thank everyone who provided their feedback on the proposed speed limits.

See a map of the new speed limits

Infrastructure improvements

We are continuing to make progress on the detailed design of infrastructure improvements on SH3 Napier Road. Key features include:

• Traffic signals at the SH3 Napier Road / Roberts Line intersection (including pedestrian and cycle crossings, and raised safety platforms to manage the speeds vehicles approach at).
• Improved walking and cycling facilities along SH3 between Keith Street and Roberts Line .
• A widened centre-line from Roberts Line to Stoney Creek Road.
• Pedestrian refuge islands to help cross SH3 (a crossing point is being designed closer to the Bupa retirement village in addition to the existing one).
• Stormwater facilities to better capture and treat water running off the road.

Construction on the infrastructure improvements is expected to begin in 2023, subject to funding approval.

Interim State Highway Speed Management Plan (ISMP)

Waka Kotahi is consulting now on further speed limit changes through an Interim State Highway Speed Management Plan.

Learn more about the ISMP

More information

For more information on the SH3 Napier Road speed review and infrastructure improvements, contact us at pn2ashhurst@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/pn2ashhurst

For more information on the speed consultation process visit our page on deciding speed limits.

Deciding speed limits

You can find out more about how we are working with the NZ Police, Ministry of Transport, local government, WorkSafe and others to deliver Road to Zero, New Zealand’s road safety strategy on our website.

Road to Zero