SH18 speed review

We all deserve a transport system that puts people at the centre – that protects and helps us to get to the places and people important to us, so we can live life to the full.

When our streets are calm and everyone travels at speeds that are appropriate for the road environment, we create inclusive, healthy and people-friendly towns and cities where we can all move around freely, no matter how we choose to travel. This is our vision for Aotearoa and Tāmaki Makaurau, and an important part of Road to Zero, New Zealand’s road safety strategy.

As part of the work undertaken by the Northern Corridor Improvements (NCI) project, there are proposed speed limit changes in two areas:

• Caribbean Drive to Albany Highway section
• Constellation Drive offramp to Caribbean Drive section

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Caribbean Drive to Albany Highway section

As part of NCI, several changes to State Highway 18 have been undertaken since construction began in 2018 including:

• The removal of local road access from Unsworth Drive along the stretch of SH18 between Caribbean Drive and Albany Highway.
• New median and side barriers.
• The opening of the new eastbound offramp at Paul Matthews Road.
• Design upgrades to the eastbound onramp at Albany Highway; and
• A new westbound onramp.

These changes improve the safety for road users travelling along this section. As a result, the speed limit in this area can support a higher speed without compromising safety.

Waka Kotahi is proposing the following speed limit changes in this area.

This proposed speed limit change will also make the speed in this section consistent with the rest of SH18 which is currently 100km/h from the west of Albany Highway. The proposed speed limit change includes the on and off ramps to and from SH18 at Albany Highway and Paul Matthews Road/Caribbean Drive.

Constellation Drive offramp to Caribbean Drive section

The short section of Upper Harbour Highway between the SH1 Constellation Drive northbound offramp and Caribbean Drive has also undergone a lot of change from the upgrades implemented. In addition, construction of the new shared path supports people travelling on foot or by bike between their community and the transport hub of Constellation Station - or further afield.  

This busy and complex signalised interchange now stretches from the SH18 offramp at Paul Matthews Road across to Caribbean Drive and along to the SH1 on and offramps at Constellation Drive.

Within this short and urbanised section with multiple signalised intersections, the road corridor supports a range of people travelling on foot, bike or in a vehicle.

To support the changes in this area, Waka Kotahi is proposing to reduce the speed limit on this less than 400m section from 80km/h to 50km/h.

This proposed speed limit change will also make the speed in this section consistent with the urbanised area east of Constellation Drive off ramp which is 50km/h.