Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has set permanent new speed limits on State Highway 1 from Waikuku to Lineside Road.
In August 2019, Waka Kotahi consulted with local community, iwi, businesses and stakeholders on proposed safe and appropriate speeds for the stretch of State Highway 1 (SH1) from Waikuku to Lineside Road.
Both the local community and Waka Kotahi recognised the need for change to the current speed limits as they seemed too high in places to be safe. Parts of the route have unforgiving road and roadside environments, such as narrow shoulders, drains and vegetation, as well as many intersections and road accesses. As a result, there are significant crash risks and this route is in the top 10% of roads nationally, where the risk of death and serious injury is the greatest.
As a main route to Christchurch’s central hub, the traffic on this road is increasing. Waka Kotahi has reviewed the speed limits on this route to ensure the speed limits are safe and appropriate. Between 2009 and 2018, six people died, and 33 people were seriously injured in crashes on the road. No matter what causes a crash, speed always affects the severity of crash outcomes. Put simply, the speed of impact can be the difference between walking away or being carried away from a crash.
The following new permanent speed limits take effect from Tuesday 15 December 2020.
| Location | Existing speed limits | New speed limits from 15 December 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Waikuku township From 130m north of Waikuku Beach Rd, Waikuku to 210m south of Gressons Rd, Waikuku |
100km/h and 80km/h | 60km/h |
| South end of Waikuku township to Pegasus From 210m south of Gressons Rd to 270m north of Pegasus Blvd |
100km/h | 80km/h |
| South end of Woodend township to Pineacres From 140m south of Rangiora Woodend Rd to 220m south of the Cam River Bridge. |
100km/h | 80km/h |
| Pineacres intersection From 185m north to 220m south of Williams Street. |
100km/h and variable 70km/h | 80km/h and variable 60km/h |
| South of Pineacres intersection to Lineside Road interchange From 220m south of the Cam River Bridge to Lineside Road. |
100km/h | No change |
The speed review process involves numerous steps that help determine the speed limits we propose at consultation.
We complete a technical assessment which considers the road itself, traffic volumes, crash history, and the way people are currently travelling on the roads. We also engage with road user groups, members of the public, councils, local iwi, AA and the police to provide further feedback and conclude the safe and appropriate speed limits.
The technical assessment of this stretch of SH1 found the average travel speeds along the road are lower than the current speed limits, and to some extent, are more generally aligned with the proposed limits.
The new speed limits of 80km/h, 60km/h and variable 60km/h were assessed to be the safe and appropriate speeds for these sections of the highway.
Between 2009 and 2018, six people died, and 33 people were seriously injured in crashes on this road.
Speed increases both the likelihood of crashes and the severity of crash outcomes, regardless of what caused the crash. Lowering speed limits on the road will make it more forgiving of human error so simple mistakes don’t cost lives.
The new permanent speed limits will have minimal impact on travel times. Over the 10km route, the reduced speeds increase travel times by approximately 1 minute.
Find out more about the SH1 Waikuku to Lineside Road permanent speed limits by reading the frequently asked questions.
Public consultation was open for four weeks from 5 August 2019 to 6 September 2019.
Well over 100 submissions were received during the consultation period from stakeholder organisations and the public.
Consultation summary report [PDF, 589 KB]
Consultation submissions [PDF, 79 MB]
More information about speed and the speed review process is available on the Speed Review Programme webpage.
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