Hawke’s Bay 2020 update

Overview

Safer, more reliable and resilient access for remote communities, farming, forestry, and tourism, is important for economic growth and prosperity in Hawke’s Bay.

Investment in the region’s land transport system has focused on making access and safety improvements to the network, to help get goods to market, as well as maintaining growth in tourism. Improvements have been made along the Hawke’s Bay Expressway, providing safe access to the Hawke’s Bay Airport and Port of Napier, as well as improving safety on SH2 in Central Hawke’s Bay and north of Napier from Bay View to Wairoa.

Safety is a significant focus for our investment in the Hawke’s Bay. We are making improvements to critical network links for residents travelling within and outside the region. A total of 163km of roads in the region will be made safer with a variety of treatments, including shoulder widening, median barriers, side barriers, rumble strips and new line markings. On SH5 between Napier and Taupo, a programme of renewals is underway to maintain this corridor.

Investment through the Provincial Growth Fund and regional package of the NZ Upgrade Programme (NZUP) is targeted at improving inter-regional freight routes in Hawke’s Bay and upgrading roads and bridges to improve safety.

Currently, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is collaborating with its local council partners and engaging with key stakeholders such as NZ Police and AA on a Hawke’s Bay Programme Business Case. This will highlight what the major challenges are in the region and what parts of the network need further study, investigation and investment.

In urban areas, our investment looks to encourage a shift from a reliance on private vehicle use to public transport and walking and cycling. This co-investment with our partners will also provide safer and improved access to schools, employment and goods and services that have great social and economic benefits. This will help create an urban environment where people want to live, work, study and play.

In the last 12 months

We have committed to making 163km of roads in the region safer, with a variety of measures including shoulder widening, median barriers, side barriers, rumble strips and new line markings. This includes:

• Completion of the Bay View to Hawke’s Bay Airport Passing Lanes and Safety Improvements project.
• $13m investment in SH2 Pakipaki to Waipukurau – including shoulder widening, side barriers, rumble strips and new line markings, which is expected to be completed in September this year.
• $10.5m worth of works on the SH2 Hawke’s Bay Expressway to install median barriers, widening of some shoulders, side barriers, rumble strips and new line markings. Most of the safety improvements on the Expressway are now complete.
• $11.5m on the stretch of SH2 between Wairoa and Bay View to widen shoulders, install side barriers, rumble strips and new line markings. This work will be completed next month.
• Invested $102m on local road network maintenance and operations in Hawke’s Bay, with key co-investment partners Hastings District Council, Wairoa District Council, Central Hawke’s Bay District Council and Napier City Council.
• Investment of $16m on state highway maintenance operations.
• Public transport investment - Waka Kotahi and Ministry of Transport (MoT) have supported the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and operators by providing policy guidance on and additional public transport funding available for Approved Organisations during the COVID-19 crisis. This is to cover funding shortfalls associated with the fare-free policy on services and additional costs incurred to implement COVID-19 measures to protect staff and users’ health and safety. This has included additional costs to cover extra cleaning and protective equipment, plus funding to make up the fare-box shortfall, including the passenger share of Total Mobility transport (up to the regional fare cap).
• Waka Kotahi has also approved funding for an electronic integrated ticketing system as part of Project NEXT. Waka Kotahi is supporting Hawke’s Bay Regional Council in its investigation of possible trialling of an on-demand service to supplement existing goBay services. 

Underway or about to start

SH2 College Road to Silverstream curve realignments and passing lane in Central Hawke’s Bay is scheduled to get underway later this year, funded by the regional package of the NZ Upgrade Programme.

SH2 Waikare Gorge Business Case and pre-implementation work, including property purchase, designation and design is underway. The project is included in the Tairāwhiti Roading Package and has received funding from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF).

SH2/SH35 Passing Opportunities business case was completed this year, which has identified 25 preferred sites including sites on SH2 in Hawke’s Bay between Gisborne and Napier. Work on sites will begin in Spring 2020 and is expected to take two years to complete. The project is included in the Tairāwhiti Roading Package and has received funding from the PGF.

SH2 Tahaenui Bridge widening is scheduled to get underway in Spring 2020, funded by the regional package of the NZ Upgrade Programme.

South Waipukurau to Waipawa shared path will begin in the spring 2020/21 construction season.

The Raupunga Bluff resilience project will realign a section of State Highway 2 north of Napier at Raupunga, alongside the railway line. The curve of the road follows the top of a 90m bluff directly adjacent to the Mohaka River. The bluff has been regressing over many years. Waka Kotahi has previously undertaken realignment and preventative works at the site, but the threat to the security of SH2 has now reached the point where further intervention is needed. The new work will include a 1.5m-high by 80m-long retaining wall to mitigate any future damage to the rail track platform. Part of these works will be on land owned by KiwiRail.

SH5 Prebensen/Hyderabad project is a vital route for the Napier Port traffic heading north to Auhriri, as well as traffic moving from the airport to the city. The line markings at the roundabouts will be reviewed to improve the efficiency and flow of traffic. The project also includes a cycle path, recognising the volume of traffic.

Safety and resilience

Safety is a significant focus in the Hawke’s Bay. The region has more crashes per vehicle kilometre travelled on local roads and State highways than most other regions. Safety projects include:

• SH51 Clive safety improvements to remove a passing lane and add two right-hand-turn bays, one into Waitangi Regional Park and the other into Hōhepa (a community of vulnerable people). It also includes converting the passing lane into a cycle lane.
• A review of speed limits in Hawke’s Bay is planned.
• Raupunga Bluff resilience project is currently working through final designs and will begin in the spring 2020/21 construction season.

Public transport

Over the next 12 months, Waka Kotahi will continue to partner with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and the territorial authorities in the development of a regional Programme Business Case, which will include options for improving public transport.

Cycling and walking

Being delivered as part of the SH2 Hawke’s Bay Expressway safety improvements, the SH2 Kennedy Road to Taradale cycle path will take cyclists, commuting between Meeanee and Taradale, off the Kennedy Road overbridge on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway along a safer passage.

The coastal SH51 Clive commuter cycle path will complement the already well-used Hawke’s Bay off-road trails in the area. This pathway will be suitable for road bikes and help keep cyclists safe along a busy State highway, while allowing cyclists to stay on the same side of the road as the bridge clip-on. This path is part of the Clive safety improvements where a passing lane is being removed and the space repurposed for cycling.

SH50 Prebensen Drive/Hyderabad project will include, a new cycle path from Prebensen Drive to Battery Road. The overall project is reviewing the line markings at the roundabouts which is part of the primary route to the Napier Port. This area has a lot of heavy vehicle movement and a cycle path will provide cyclists with a much safer option.

Also planned for next year is the Pandora estuary/Hawke’s Bay Expressway underpass improvements (southern side) to prevent pathway flooding. This part of the Hawke’s Bay Expressway near the airport is picturesque. A lot of effort was put into restoring and improving the wetland area at the time of the award-winning Watchman Road roundabout improvements on this corridor. The cycle path through these wetlands goes through a purpose-built underpass. However, this underpass is often knee-deep in water.  This is a Hawke’s Bay Regional Council project that is funded mostly by Waka Kotahi.

Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)

There are two PGF-funded projects in the Tairāwhiti Roading Package which include investment in Hawke’s Bay. These are the SH2/SH35 Passing Opportunities project which will include the construction of passing opportunities on SH2 extending as far south as Bay View in Hawke’s Bay. SH2 Waikare Gorge, located in Hawke’s Bay, has also received PGF funding to complete pre-implementation. This includes property purchase, designation and design.

NZ Upgrade Programme (NZUP)

Announced in February 2020, the regional package of NZ Upgrade Programme investment will help address safety risks, resilience, accessibility and travel time reliability as well as support regional economic development. The Hawke’s Bay projects totalling $14.2m are:

• SH2 College Road to Silverstream realignment and passing opportunity
• SH2 Tahaenui Bridge widening. 

Investment in Hawke’s Bay

*PGF investment in Hawke’s Bay is included in the Tairāwhiti regional summary.
**Waka Kotahi led projects only

Overview map