Peka Peka to Ōtaki corridor improvements

The Peka Peka to Ōtaki section of the Kāpiti Expressway is now completed. This means old State Highway 1 (SH1) in the area is no longer required to function as a state highway and will officially become a local road. Responsibility for ownership, maintenance and any future upgrades of that road will be transferred from Waka Kotahi to Kāpiti Coast District Council – this process is called ‘revocation’.

We’re undertaking works to the part of old SH1 that bypasses the expressway – from Makahuriin Te Horo to Taylors Road just north of Ōtaki –to ensure it meets the needs of a local road. This section of road is approximately 12km long. The 3km of road south of Marycrest to Te Kowhai Rd doesn’t require additional works.

To achieve this, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and the council are working in partnership to deliver  a fit-for-purpose local road that strengthens the district’s resilience and improves connections for all forms of transport.

Our team are starting work from late 2024 on the improvements for the southern section – from Makahuri to south of Ōtaki River Bridge. The work on this section will include:

• drainage upgrades
• minor demolition
• footpath and kerbing construction
• pavement resurfacing
• road marking
• landscaping
• signage installation.

This section of work is expected to continue through to mid-2025. Most work in this area will have minimal impact on residents, businesses, and road users, but we’ll keep the public well informed throughout the project.

After completing work on the Te Horo to south of Ōtaki River section, our crew will start work on the section between south of Ōtaki River and Waerenga Road intersection, followed by Waerenga Road to Taylors Road.

Te Horo Beach Road intersection – artist's impression.

The following benefits are expected to result from proposed changes along the road corridor:

• Positively contributing to and enhancing the Ōtaki and Te Horo business areas to suit the expected traffic volumes and movements.
• Continuing to operate as an emergency bypass route to the Kāpiti Expressway.
• Protect and enhance natural systems, local features and amenity.
• Facilitating the movement of people to local communities from east to west and enhancing connectivity for all transport modes through and across the district by:
  • expanding walking and cycling connections and options
  • improving connections to and from rail and bus facilities
  • enhancing the safety of all road users including intersection improvements and slower traffic speeds, so people using all transport modes and of all abilities can have improved access.

State highways are designed to carry a large number of vehicles as quickly and efficiently as possible. Local roads have different considerations - they run through residential, commercial, and recreational areas, and are used by a different type of traffic.

As we prepare for old State Highway 1 to officially become a local road, we’ve thought about what features it will need to have such as road layout, intersections, landscaping, street furniture and the needs within commercial areas.

What we have considered:

• road layouts to suit the traffic movements and lower traffic volumes.
• pedestrian crossings and shared paths.
• road markings to improve safety and awareness along the route.
• lighting and signage along the route for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
• feature landscaping, tree planting and street furniture.

We’ve also considered the look and feel of the commercial areas within and around Ōtaki and Te Horo.

The public were asked to provide feedback on the concept and preliminary designs in 2019 and 2021. More information on the feedback we received which assisted with these designs can be found on our ‘Community engagement’ page.

Community engagement(external link)