The new Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway is now fully open to traffic. It’s important we all know how to get on and off the road to keep everyone safe, so check out the information below which will help you get to grips with the access points.
Cyclists, pedestrians and equestrians
Northern Ōtaki connections
Heading north
Getting on the expressway
- If you’re heading north on the old State Highway 1 (SH1) in Ōtaki township, access is via the northbound on-ramp just north of the Mill Road roundabout (by the BP service station) – look for the sign saying ‘EWY North, Palmerston North, Taupo’.
Heading south
Getting on the expressway
- If you’re on SH1 north of Ōtaki, just continue driving onto the expressway.
Getting off the expressway
- If you’re heading south to Ōtaki, exit via the southbound off-ramp just north of Ōtaki township – look for the sign saying ‘Ōtaki, Ōtaki Beach, Te Horo’ (if you miss this exit point, you’ll need to go all the way down to Peka Peka to turn around).
- If you’re heading south to Te Horo or Peka Peka, exit at Ōtaki as above and continue on the old SH1.
Southern Ōtaki connections
Heading north
Getting off the expressway
- If you’re heading north to Ōtaki, exit via the northbound off-ramp at Ōtaki Gorge Road – look for the sign saying ‘Ōtaki, Ōtaki Beach, Te Horo’ (if you miss this exit, there’s a safe turnaround area north of Taylor’s Road just past the northern end of the expressway).
Heading south
Getting on the expressway
- If you’re in Ōtaki township, access to the expressway is via the southbound on-ramp at the Ōtaki Gorge Road roundabout – look for the signs saying ‘Ōtaki Gorge Road, Tararua Forest Park’ and ‘EWY South Wellington’.
Peka Peka connections
Heading north
Getting on the expressway
- If you’re already on the MacKays to Peka Peka section of the expressway (which runs between the northern end of the Transmission Gully motorway to Peka Peka), just continue driving onto the PP2Ō section at Peka Peka.
- If you’re heading north on the old SH1 from Waikanae, access is via the northbound on-ramp at Peka Peka.
Heading south
Getting off the expressway
- If you’re heading south to Peka Peka, remain on the expressway through to Peka Peka and exit using the southbound off-ramp – look for the sign saying ‘Peka Peka, Waikanae’.
Travelling to Te Horo
Heading south
- Exit via the southbound off-ramp just north of Ōtaki, head through the township using old SH1 and continue south along this road to Te Horo. Or, exit via the southbound off-ramp at Peka Peka and double back to Te Horo.
Heading north
- If you’re heading north from Wellington/Kāpiti, take the northbound off-ramp at Ōtaki Gorge Road (just south of Ōtaki River), then turn left onto old SH1 and head south to Te Horo. Alternatively, you could exit the MacKays to Peka Peka section of the expressway at Waikanae, then drive through to Waikanae township and turn left onto old SH1. Then head north until you get to Te Horo.
Possible congestion points
- While traffic will flow more smoothly all the way up to Ōtaki from Wellington/Kāpiti and it will take less time to get to your destination, you’ll need to be patient where northbound traffic merges back into a single lane at the north end of the new expressway. Expect traffic to be slow around this merge point at peak times, with a tailback likely.
- Just north of Ōtaki we’re setting up a safe turnaround area with a reduced speed limit in place, which may get congested at times.
Other useful information
Are there traffic lights at the off-ramps?
No, all off-ramps are controlled by either give way or stop signs.
What is the speed limit for the expressway?
100km per hour.
What do I do if I break down on the expressway?
Stay in your car and call *555 from your mobile.
Cyclists, pedestrians and equestrians
A new shared path – providing walkers, cyclists and equestrians with a safer route in the area and better connectivity to/from Ōtaki – will be ready to use in February/March 2023, once a signalised pedestrian crossing at Marycrest (Makahuri) has been completed.
