FAQs

The proposed median safety barrier across the highway will mean that some people accessing roads connecting with SH58 and properties on SH58, will need to travel longer on some journeys. We don’t expect additional travel time to exceed more than a few minutes.

We will be contacting property owners where work will need to be done at their accessways. Some accesses will need to be redesigned and rebuilt as part of the project.

In New Zealand, the Public Works Act 1981 provides the power to acquire property for public works and also entitles affected land owners to compensation. Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), on behalf of the Crown, is responsible for administering this Act.

Further information on the Public Works Act 1981 on the LINZ website(external link)

We typically buy properties once we have firm land requirement plans in place, and these depend on the outcomes of public engagement, more detailed investigations and consenting. Construction timing is also a consideration.

Where we require your property for a public work, a LINZ accredited supplier is engaged to carry out the negotiations on its behalf.

If your property, or part of your property, is required for the project, we’ll pay compensation on the basis of market value. Market value is not the personal value to you or the value to Waka Kotahi, but is based on an assessment by an independent registered valuer.

You may also be eligible for additional compensation of up to $50,000, depending on whether there is a dwelling on your property that will need to be acquired and whether that dwelling is used as your principal place of residence.

In addition to the market value of your property, reasonable legal and valuation fees and moving costs are reimbursed by us once they have been approved by LINZ.

If you have a business located on your land, you may claim compensation for business loss resulting from the relocation of the business. The loss may include loss of profits and goodwill, although the loss of profits must relate to proven loss of “actual profits”. Loss of “anticipated profits” is not provided for in the Public Works Act.

If you have any specific questions relating to your property, please get in touch with the SH58 project team.

Email the project team

• Motorcyclists don’t have the same protection in a crash as the occupants of vehicles, and special consideration needs to be given for how to keep them safe. Roadside and median safety barriers are highly effective in preventing deaths and injuries for all road users, including motorcyclists.
• The roadside barriers will be semi-rigid with motorcycle under-rails added at higher risk locations.

We know cyclists enjoy using SH58, particularly at weekends. A consistent shoulder width on SH58 will mean cyclists have more space to travel without being forced into conflict with trucks or other vehicles at pinch points.

When we install barriers, they are designed to protect all road users against hazards on the roadside. Crashes with a barrier can result in injury, but the overall risk is reduced. This project involves widening the road shoulder along SH58 to 1.2m on straight sections and 1.5m on bends, providing more space for people to ride between the vehicle lane and the barrier, improving safety for all.

Yes, there’s been reduction in the speed being travelled by the fastest motorists, while the average speeds along the highway have been maintained at just under 80km/h.