Update 23 April 2024 9:22am
Changes have been made to plans to build a new barrier at the intersection of State Highway 2 and Cornish Street in Petone.
Initially, work had been due to start over the weekend with a lane closure for traffic heading north on State Highway 2.
However, investigations show a shoulder and lane closure does not provide sufficient space for the work that must be done.
Instead, the barrier works will be completed under a full northbound closure of State Highway 2 starting this Sunday, 28 April. It’s estimated the work will take two weeks to complete.
Work crews will also replace safety barriers under the Petone Overbridge during the closures.
To minimise disruption the work will be carried out at night, Sunday to Thursday, between 9 pm and 4 am. The work is deliberately timed to happen at night when fewer vehicles are on the road.
A local road detour will be available via Lower Hutt. However, it will increase travel times, so road users must factor this into their travel plans.
19 April 2024 3:08pm
More progress is being made on making State Highway 2 a safer route for Wellington drivers, with a permanent barrier to be built at the old Cornish Street access in Petone.
Two years ago, NZTA/Waka Kotahi and the Hutt City Council agreed to block the street’s intersection with State Highway 2.
SH2 Cornish Street intersection closing to improve safety (Media Release – 5 April 2022)
It followed a fatal crash in 2021, where a driver drove the wrong way onto State Highway 2 from Cornish Street. Access to the intersection has been closed since April 2022.
Mark Owen, Regional Manager Maintenance and Operations, says while there have been temporary barriers in place blocking access from Cornish St to the highway, the time has come to put a permanent barrier in place.
SH2/Cornish Street - where permanent barriers will be installed
"Work crews will install a permanent barrier from Sunday, 21 April. It means the intersection, an identified high-risk area for crashes, will be permanently closed."
"By doing this, we are proactively preventing crashes and making this part of State Highway 2 much safer for the public. Serious crashes have devastating consequences for families and communities, and it is important that we make changes to improve road safety when we can," Mr Owen says.
Installing the new permanent barriers is a significant job. Lane closures will be in place next week ahead of a full northbound closure beginning the following week. Road crews will also replace median barriers in the area while this project is underway.
Mr Owen says the public will be informed of further details on the planned northbound State Highway 2 closure once they are confirmed.
"We are still finalising the details for the closure, how long it will be, and its required detour. We will make sure they are shared as soon as possible."
"We appreciate these works will cause delays and some inconvenience for drivers. But a safer highway benefits everyone, and the gains everyone will get from this work are worth the price of the disruption it will cause," Mr Owen says.
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