Te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui – Greater Wellington | NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi

NOTE: This consultation was held under the 2022 version of the Setting of Speed Limits Rule, as part of the provisions that enabled RCAs to consult on Interim Speed Management Plans (SMPs) in between the three yearly regional SMPs. Following the consultation, the Minister of Transport announced that work was underway to develop a new Land Transport Rule for setting speed limits. In anticipation of the new Rule, we paused work on our speed management plans.

The new Rule was released in 2024 and confirmed that any in-progress SMP plans that were not in the register and implemented at 30 October 2024 could not proceed and would need to be revisited in the future, if NZTA is satisfied that they align with the future direction and requirements of the new Rule.

The information below has therefore been kept as a record of the full 2022 consultation.

Proposed speed limits in Greater Wellington

Following our analysis and conversations with partners, interested groups and organisations, we propose the following new speed limits:

Speed limit map

View larger map and speed limit tables [PDF, 904 KB]

Speed limit tables

Speed limits around schools

State highway	School	Existing speed limit (km/h)	Proposed new speed limit (km/h) *variable
2	St Patrick's School (Masterton)	50	50/30*
2	Hadlow Preparatory School	50	50/30*
2/53	Featherston School	50	50/30*
59	Pukerua Bay School	50	50/30*

These new speed limits will help us take steps towards a safe system by ensuring state highways with a school entry point have speeds reduced to care for children travelling to and from school.

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New speed limits at the Ngāūranga interchange

State highway	Reference number (refer to map)	Location	Description	Existing speed limit (km/h)	Proposed new speed limit (km/h)
1	1	SH1 Ngāūranga northbound on-ramp including links	Hutt Road to SH1	80	50
1	2	SH1 Ngāūranga southbound off-ramp including links	SH1 to Hutt Road	80	50
2	1	SH2 Ngāūranga southbound off-ramp including links	SH2 to Hutt Road	80	50
2	2	SH2 Ngāūranga northbound on-ramp including links	Hutt Road to SH2	80	50

These new speed limits will help us take steps towards a safe system by integrating with speed changes to be proposed on Hutt Road and Thorndon Quay as part of the Let’s Get Wellington Moving project to provide safe and reliable travel choices for everyone, consistent with Wellington City Council’s approach to speed management.

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New speed limits on State Highway 2

State highway	Reference number (refer to map)	Location	Description	Existing speed limit (km/h) *variable	Proposed new speed limit (km/h)
2	3	Masterton north	Cashmere Oaks Drive to Paierau Road	100	80
2	4	Carterton variable speed area - removal	Removal of intersection speed zone at intersection between SH2 and East Taratahi Road	100/70*	80
2	5	Featherston south	West of Renall St to northwest of Renall Street	100	80
2	6	Remutaka Hill	Northwest of Renall St to south of Marchant Road	100	60
2	7	Kaitoke to Te Mārua (Upper Hutt)	South of Marchant Road to northeast of Twin Lakes Road	100	80
2	8	Brown Owl urban	North of Akatarawa Road to west of Mangaroa Hill Road	70	50
2	9	Moonshine Hill Road	East of Moonshine Hill Road to west of Moonshine Hill Road – northbound only	100	60
2	10	Owen Street to Grounsell Crescent	In both directions for Owen Street to Grounsell Crescent	100	80

These new speed limits will help us take steps towards a safe system by:

Integrating with the first stage of planned improvements to SH2 in the Hutt Valley. Specifically at the Moonshine Hill Road intersection, where new traffic signals and raised safety platforms will be added to provide safe right-turning access to and from Moonshine Hill Road and Riverstone Terraces.
Improving safety over the Remutaka Hill between Upper Hutt and Featherston. This includes setting appropriate speed limits for the road where it passes through the urban areas north of Upper Hutt (Brown Owl). In this area there are many side streets and driveways.
Removing an Intersection Speed Zone (variable speed limit) north of Carterton. This is no longer required, because the intersection of SH2 with Wiltons Road and East Taratahi is currently being upgraded to a new, safe roundabout.
Providing a safe speed environment north of Masterton where increasing urban development, including new retirement village development, means there are growing numbers of people travelling in the area.

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New speed limits on State Highway 1

Reference	Reference number (refer to map)	Location	Description	Existing speed limit (km/h)	Proposed new speed limit (km/h)
1	3	Peka Peka to Ōtaki expressway	N/A	N/A	100
1	4	Ōtaki southbound off-ramp	North end of Ōtaki	N/A	50
1	5	Ōtaki northbound on-ramp	North end of Ōtaki	N/A	50
1	6	Ōtaki southbound on-ramp	On Ōtaki Gorge Road	N/A	60
1	7	Ōtaki northbound off-ramp	On Ōtaki Gorge Road	N/A	60
1	8	Taylors Road to Waitohu Valley Road	N/A	100	60
1	9	Mill Road roundabout to Waerenga Road	N/A	50	40
1	10	Waerenga Road to Riverbank Road	N/A	70	50
1	11	Riverbank Road to Ōtaki Gorge Road	N/A	100	60
1	12	Ōtaki Gorge Road to Te Horo	N/A	100	80
1	13	Te Horo to Te Kowhai Road	N/A	100	80
1	14	Peka Peka to Hemi Street	N/A	100	80
1	15	Ihakara Street to Raumati Road	N/A	Various	50
1	16	Raumati Road to SH1	N/A	100	80
1	17	Poplar Avenue southbound on-ramp	N/A	100	80
1	18	Poplar Avenue northbound off-ramp	N/A	100	80
1	19	Poplar Avenue interchange	N/A	100	80

These new speed limits will help us take steps towards a safe system by:

Setting an appropriate speed limit for the Peka Peka to Ōtaki section of the Kāpiti Expressway, and its new on- and off-ramps at Ōtaki ahead of the new road opening.
Setting appropriate speed limits on the ‘old’ State Highway 1, which is being transferred to Kāpiti Coast District Council following the completion of the Mackays to Peka Peka and Peka Peka to Ōtaki sections of the Kāpiti Expressway. The process of transferring the road from a state highway to local road is known as revocation, and projects are underway to prepare the roads for the transfer of ownership and management. New speed limits integrate with changes to the design of these roads to make them fit-for-purpose for their new role.

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Approved speed limits

The following speed limits have been approved by the Director of Land Transport.

Due to the urgency of some speed limits related to specific operational needs, we have progressed the following section via an alternative process, separately from the Interim State Highway Speed Management Plan.

View the latest update on the Interim State Highway Speed Management Plan

We’re currently in the process of transferring ownership and management of the Mackays to Peka Peka section of old SH1 to Kāpiti Coast District Council. Along with completing several works to make sure the road is fit-for-purpose, we’re also making sure the speeds are appropriate for its new status as a local road.

The following new permanent speed limits are currently in place under temporary traffic management and will now become permanent.

Location	Existing speed limit*	New permanent speed limit
Ihakara Street to Raumati Road	Various	50
Raumati Road to SH1	100	80
Poplar Avenue southbound on-ramp	100	80
Poplar Avenue northbound off-ramp	100	80
Poplar Avenue interchange	100	80

* While these are the official existing speed limit, all sections are currently under a temporary speed limit aligned with the new permanent speed limits.

Have your say

Consultation on the Interim State Highway Speed Management Plan closed on 12 December 2022.

View the latest update on this plan

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Te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui – Greater Wellington

Proposed speed limits in Greater Wellington

Speed limit map

Speed limit tables

Approved speed limits

Have your say