Construction coming: An innovative teardrop design will improve safety at the Waiotahe Valley Back Road and Ōhiwa Beach Road intersections with SH2.

State Highway 2 Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki Update

Waka Kotahi has heard the community’s calls for making this road safer and can confirm that we are finalising a design to significantly improve safety at the intersections of State Highway 2 (SH2), Waiotahe Valley Back Road and Ōhiwa Beach Road.

The option being developed consists of a ‘teardrop’ arrangement that slows vehicle speeds approaching these intersections and makes it safer and easier for drivers to enter and exit SH2. It also reduces the chance of head-on and side impact crashes. 

While we waited for construction funding to be confirmed for this section of the project, the team investigated different solutions that would fit the safety needs identified.

This innovative solution, the first of its kind in the region, was chosen as the best fit.

Detailed design is underway, with construction expected to start in early to mid-2024, once design and property purchase is complete.

These upgrades will make this section of highway safer for you, your friends and whānau, and everyone who uses this road.

Intersection upgrades

Creating safer roads for you in 2022

Our construction crews are back on site carrying out safety improvements at the Rankin Road/SH2 intersection.

The work is expected to take one to two months to complete and includes widening the road shoulders, installing side barriers and improving the curve in the road to make it easier to navigate.

Stop/Go traffic management will be in place and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h during this time. Motorists should expect minor delays.

It is critical we complete this work prior to winter while the weather is still warm enough to allow for road sealing.

Please take extra care when driving through this site and follow any temporary speed limits and traffic management for your safety, and that of our road workers and other road users.

What else is happening?

With works at the Rankin Road/SH2 intersection underway, we are starting service investigations and relocations through the Pohutukawa tunnels and from the surf club through to Ōpōtiki.

We will also be widening the road shoulders at the start of this section near to Waiotahe Valley Back Road. We expect to start this work in mid-2022.

Design work is also underway for a roundabout at the SH2/Wainui Rd (Matekerepu) intersection. Once this is complete, we will undertake property purchase and consenting, then tender the work for construction. If this all proceeds as planned, we expect to start construction of the roundabout mid-late 2023.

This project is being delivered as part of the Speed and Infrastructure Programme, a key part of Road to Zero, which sets a target of reducing the amount of people killed or seriously injured on New Zealand’s roads by 40 per cent by 2030.

Special traditions: Ben Hoiua (left) and Sonny Albert lead karakia on site

Daily karakia business as usual

Each morning before starting work on projects, including the SH2 Wainui to Ōpōtiki safety improvements project, the team at Splice construction take a moment to say a karakia.

Crew member Sonny Albert, who leads the daily karakia, says it is a great way to strengthen team bonds and start the day off in a positive way.

“We do this as a way of connecting as a team, to make sure everyone has a good day and to make sure we all get home safely to our families at the end of the day.”

Sonny says the morning tradition began almost two years ago when the crew began working on SH2 near Ōpōtiki.

“We are all locals and know the area and history well. My foreman Ben Hoiua asked me to say one while we were working on that site to pay our respects to the area and the past.

“The whole team absolutely loved it and wanted to keep it going so now we say one every day before we start.”

Albert says he is now teaching others in the team to lead the karakia.

“I have been teaching three of the younger guys and now they are also taking turns leading the karakia in the morning. It has been great for the whole team.”

Working together for safer journeys

More information

For more information on the SH2 Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki project, or if you have any questions, contact bopprojects@nzta.govt.nz