Last updated 22 December 2022
What kind of feedback did you receive from the community consultation?
We heard that intersection safety is a priority for the community, so we are planning to improve the Junction Street and Mangorei Road intersections first. People also said they still wanted to make right turns out of Junction Street, reducing the likelihood of adding congestion on the local network and that being able to safely pass when it’s necessary is important.
How much will the project cost to design and construct?
An estimated $40M is being invested in this corridor for safety improvement works between New Plymouth and Egmont Village.
How long will construction take?
This depends on the final design. We will work closely with the community during design and construction to ensure we mitigate any construction impacts as much as possible.
Will the project impact any private properties?
The extent to which private properties could be impacted will depend on the final design. Throughout the design process we’ll continue to talk with those that could be directly impacted.
What is an Intersection Speed Zone?
It is an intersection warning sign system that will operate when traffic is approaching from or turning right into Junction Street.
When operating, it will reduce the speed limit to 60kmh, enabling people to take evasive action if necessary and reducing the impact of any mistakes.
Will you still be able to turn right out of Junction Street?
Yes. Following community feedback, people will still be able to make right turns out of Junction Street, reducing the likelihood of adding to congestion on the local network.
Why remove passing lanes when it prevents motorists from being able to pass others?
The northbound passing lane prior to Mangorei Road will be removed to make room for the new roundabout. Removal of the southbound passing lane at Junction St will reduce risk – at approximately 420m this passing lane is much shorter than the recommended minimum length range of 600m-800m to allow for safe overtaking.
Why are you progressing the project in two stages?
We heard that intersection safety is a priority for the community, so we are planning to improve the Junction Street and Mangorei Road intersections first.
The rest of the proposed improvements we’re proposing, in particular the median barrier, will impact the way the community gets around, so it’s important we work through technical details that will impact people most before we finalise a design. These details include private property impacts, business operations, emergency service requirements and maintenance needs.
We’ll continue to consider community feedback and work with experts, key stakeholders and landowners to finalise the rest of the design while we complete the high priority work.
Don’t flexible safety barriers present a new risk to motorcyclists?
Motorcyclists run a greater risk of being injured on the road. They are more vulnerable, and our roads can be unforgiving.
The presence of road safety barriers, especially flexible barriers, reduces the number of motorcyclists killed and injured by around 50%. Barriers between lanes stop a driver’s mistake from becoming a rider’s nightmare. They can also stop you ending up in the path of oncoming traffic if you do come off your motorcycle or if someone else makes a mistake.
What will the safe turning opportunities look like?
How the safe turning opportunities will look will be identified through the detailed design stage. They can be roundabouts of off-road turning facilities. They will be designed to allow enough room to safely turn around.
Will the proposed safety improvements be needed if the speed is reduced?
Any changes to speed limits on this section of SH3 will be appropriate for the road after any infrastructure improvements have been made.
