The Hawke’s Bay Expressway is set to be renamed State Highway 2 to reduce confusion and better reflect that the expressway is the spine of the Hawke’s Bay roading network.
The Hawke’s Bay Expressway was constructed in seven sections over 43 years. These sections are referred to separately with different state highway numbers, despite the expressway being one length of road. This makes for a confusing driving experience, which the renumbering will resolve.
Regional Transport Systems Manager Oliver Postings says when the expressway was first discussed with the local councils many years ago, it was recognised that a renumbering would need to occur in the future.
“The renumbering will better align the State Highways in the network and will reduce confusion, particularly for tourists,” Mr Postings says.
“The opportunity to renumber the state highways has arisen through the exchange of State Highway 2 Meeanee Quay and Pandora Road becoming a local road under Napier City Council’s authority, and Prebensen Drive becoming a state highway under the Transport Agency’s authority.”
From 1 August, the entire Hawke’s Bay Expressway will become known as State Highway 2 and the former State Highway 2 between Napier and Hastings (also known as the Coastal Route) will become State Highway 51. Signage will be changed over between August and end of October.
Most people will be unaffected by these changes, except for landowners in two areas north and south of Clive, where the name of the road is currently the state highway number. Those residents and businesses will have their change of address automatically updated in the NZ Post directory.
The two areas that affect residential and a small number of business addresses are:
The maps below show the current highway numbers, and the route of the new highway numbers that will take effect from 1 August 2019.
For more information, visit our website: www.nzta.govt.nz/hawkes-bay-renumbering(external link)
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