SH22/SH1 Drury to Paerata

The stretch of State Highway 22 (SH22) between Drury and Paerata is an important link for motorists and freight but had a poor safety record.

Between 2009 and 2018, there were 212 crashes on this stretch of road: 7 people were killed and 42 people were seriously injured.

What we've done

Improvements have been made to prevent crashes along the route and to make sure that if crashes happen, people were less likely to be killed or seriously injured.

The following improvements have been made:

• Improved safety for motorists waiting to turn right into Jesmond Road by installing a right turn bay (completed 2019).
• Reduced speed limits along the route to a level considered safe and appropriate (implemented 2020).
• Implemented safety improvements at the intersection of SH22 and Great South Road (completed 2020)
• Made the SH22 and Glenbrook Road intersection safer by installing a new roundabout (completed 2022).
• Removed the unsafe passing lane by the Pukekohe Golf Course (2022).

Other potential improvements being investigated included:

• Installing median barriers along SH22 between Drury and Paerata or along high-risk sections of the corridor to reduce the risk of head-on crashes, coupled with safe and appropriate turnaround facilities where median barriers prevented right turns.
• Installing side barriers along SH22 or high-risk sections of the corridor to stop drivers running off the road.
• Upgrades of various intersections along the route, such as Burberry Road, Oira Road, Whangapouri Road/Bycroft Road and Blackbridge Road.

Speed limit reduction

After community engagement in 2017 and 2018 to understand people’s views, in 2019 we formally consulted with the public on proposed speed limit changes on State Highway 22 between Drury Interchange and Paerata.

The information gathered through engagement, consultation and our technical review process informed our decision to implement the speed limit changes as proposed during the consultation. The new speed limits came into effect on 30 June 2020.

More information about the speed limits and locations