Waka Kotahi are prioritising infrastructure changes aimed at improving safety on SH1 between Taupō Airport and Hātepe. Our team are working to understand the feasibility of the project design and once we know more, we will seek public feedback.
The Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024 (GPS 2024) has changed how we, NZTA, invests in safety across the state highway network. Safety remains a priority objective in GPS 2024, with safety embedded across all investments.
Our focus is on delivering safe roading infrastructure via the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) and Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS), providing enhanced maintenance and highway resilience as well as increased support for NZ Police enforcement.
This means several state highway safety improvement projects around Taupō have been reprioritised.
SH1 Taupō to Hātepe safety improvements - There is no funding allocated in the 2024-27 NLTP to complete the design or construction of this project.
From mid 2023, we will be working with hapū to develop a Cultural Impact Assessment. A Cultural Impact Assessment is a report that documents Māori cultural values, interests and relationships with an area and manages any impacts.
Between 2009 and 2023, seven people were killed and twenty-three people were seriously injured in crashes on SH1 between Taupō Airport and Hātepe.
In 2020, we reviewed speed limits between Taupō and Turangi and new permanent speed limits are now in effect in some sections along the route. Through consultation, the community told us they wanted to maintain the existing 100km/hr limit between Taupō Airport and Hātepe.
We committed to investigating infrastructure improvements that would improve safety on sections between Taupō Airport and Hātepe to reduce the likelihood of serious crashes causing deaths and serious injuries.
The project is focused on safety improvements including:
We are also working on a number of safety and infrastructure improvements in and around the Taupō region. Find out more:
