Safer speed limits for State Highway 51 (SH51) between Marine Parade and Waipatu are coming into effect this Friday, 29 October 2021.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency consulted with the public earlier this year on a proposal for new safer speed limits on this section of SH51, following calls from the community for speeds to be lowered and technical assessments of the road.
“Our top priority is to improve safety on our roads so that everyone can get to where they’re going safely,” Director of Regional Relationships Linda Stewart says.
“To save lives and reduce serious injuries, we need to tackle unsafe speeds. The speed limits on this section of State Highway 51 were not safe and appropriate for the road, even for the best drivers, which is why we are introducing safer new speed limits.”
Decisions on the safer new speed limits were based on the technical assessment of the road, which considers factors like crash history, road environment and speeds that people generally travel at, as well as feedback received during the consultation from the general public and stakeholders.
From Friday 29 October, the new speed limits will come into effect and signs will go up showing what these new speed limits are (outlined in the table below):
| Location | Current speed limit (km/h) | New permanent speed limit (km/h) |
|---|---|---|
| Napier to Clive: From 190m south of SH51/Marine Parade (south of the intersection) to 260m north of Farndon Road. |
100 | 80 |
| Clive township (southern section): From 50m south of Mill Road to 700m south of Mill Road. |
70 and 80 | 60 |
| Waipatu/Hastings: From 100m north-east of St Georges Road to 350m south-west of Elwood Road. |
70 | 60 |
We’d again like to thank everyone who provided their feedback during consultation on the new speed limits, as well as the council, Police, the AA and Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand,” Ms Stewart says.
Waka Kotahi did not propose a speed limit reduction for the section of SH51 between St Georges Road and Ruahapia or to extend the 60km/h section from Kenilworth Road further to include the Bay Espresso, due to the SH51 Waipatu Marae safety improvement project.
This project is changing the layout along this section of road, with widening and a flush median being installed. These safety improvements will enable safer turning and vehicle separation through the area.
The consultation for the SH51 speed review was combined with the consultation and engagement for the State Highway 5 (SH5) speed review. The speed review for SH51 was completed first, as there were fewer submissions and consequently less time was required to work through these than for SH5.
Waka Kotahi will announce the decision for SH5 speeds once the review and technical analysis of the road is complete. This is expected by the end of the year.
Video: The Sign of a Safe Speed(external link)
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