Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has set new permanent speed limits on SH11 Puketona to Paihia.
We want to make our roads safer for everyone who uses them. On some roads we’re doing this with physical safety improvements, however on SH11 we are improving safety by ensuring speed limits are safe and right for the road.
To help us fully understand the issues on the road, in July 2019, we asked the community for feedback on current and proposed speed limits on SH11 Puketona to Paihia.
We then publicly consulted on our proposed speed limit changes along this corridor from October to December 2019, and used people’s feedback, alongside our technical reviews, to make our decision on speed limit changes.
The following speed limits were proposed during consultation and have been set as the new permanent speed limits.
The new permanent speed limits took effect on Monday 24 August 2020.
| Location | Previous speed limit | New speed limit (from 24 August 2020) |
|
SH11 Paihia to Haruru - from 330m southwest of Te Kemara Ave, Paihia to 140m east of Ash Grove Circle, Haruru |
100km/h | 80km/h |
|
SH11 Haruru Falls Village - from 140m east of Ash Grove Circle to 135m west |
100km/h and 70km/h |
60km/h |
|
SH11 Haruru to Puketona - from 135m west of Nautical Drive to the junction |
100km/h | 80km/h |
When determining the speed limits that we proposed, we reviewed the speeds that people were driving on this road, as well as the road itself.
A review of average travel speeds showed people were typically driving at 65-69km/h along the stretch from Paihia to Haruru, at 60-64km/h through Haruru township, and 80-84km/h along the stretch from Haruru to Puketona.
Other factors we considered were the traffic volume, roadside characteristics, and local road intersections.
The speed limits of 60km/h and 80km/h were assessed to be the safe and appropriate speeds for the route.
Over the 10 years from 2009 to 2018, there were 102 crashes on this stretch of road with two people killed and 14 seriously injured.
Lower permanent speed limits were needed to reduce the number of crashes and resulting deaths and serious injuries.
The new permanent speed limits have minimal impact on travel times. Over the 12.25km route from Puketona to Paihia, the increase in travel time is approximately 12 seconds.
We are committed to improving safety in this area and are also upgrading the SH10/SH11 intersection at Puketona to a roundabout. Construction on the roundabout has begun and we expect it to be completed by April 2021.
Please note that during construction we will have a temporary lower speed limit in place at the roundabout construction site to keep workers safe.
More information about speed and the speed review process is available on the Speed Review Programme webpage.
SH10 Awanui to Kaingaroa
SH1 Moerewa to Kawakawa