SH58 safety improvements

State Highway 58 is a regional route providing critical east-west access from State Highway 2 to State Highway 1 and is key to the region’s state highway network. Over 19,000 vehicles travel this highway daily. It is narrow and windy with many unprotected roadside hazards.

A safer speed limit of 80km/h was put in place in 2018 following public consultation, and construction of physical safety improvements has been progressing in stages, from east to west.

Safety improvements between Western Hutt Road (State Highway 2) to Mount Cecil Road are complete. Construction of improvements are now underway between Mount Cecil Road and Harris Road. Thank you for your patience and driving with care through the area while this work is being done.

With this work now well underway, we are turning our focus to the next stage of safety improvements along SH58 between Harris Road and the new Transmission Gully interchange. The improvements in this area (see map below) will include: 

• Two new roundabouts, at the Moonshine Road and the Murphys Road/Flightys Road intersections.
• Shared paths around the roundabouts.
• New culverts to manage water flows.
• Widening the road, adding wider sealed shoulders and side barriers.
• Installing median barriers for the entire length of the road.

SH58 safety improvements map [PDF, 617 KB] 

In Mid 2022 we sought approvals needed to accelerate the delivery of  road widening and safety barriers between Harris Road and east of Moonshine Road, bringing this section forward ahead of the rest of the final stage of the project. Construction for this section is expected to start in late 2022.

The remaining final stage, including roundabouts and safety barriers from Moonshine Road to Transmission Gully will require more complex approvals, and some additional land to be purchased. This part of the project is now in the consenting process, and we expect start construction in 2023 if consents are approved.

Flightys and Murphys Road roundabout

At Flightys / Murphys Road there is currently a bus stop on each side of SH58. The new design has a dedicated bus bay off the road, alongside the new roundabout. This allows for up to three buses to park and transfer students between buses. The area, separated from the main road, means multiple children can transfer safely. Currently these transfers occur at the large bus stop area at Moonshine Road. Within the bus bay, there is space for up to 9-10 cars to park to drop off and collect students. New bus shelters will be installed.

View larger Flightys / Murphys Road roundabout map [PDF, 2.7 MB]

View larger Moonshine Road roundabout map [PDF, 2.3 MB]

At Moonshine Road the bus stops are currently all on the northern side of SH58. The new design has bus stops with bus shelters on both sides of SH58 on the approaches to the roundabout. There is also room for 3-4 cars to be parked on the eastern side of Moonshine Road. We are investigating an additional facility on the western side of Moonshine Road.

Indicative visualisation of the Moonshine Road roundabout

At both roundabouts there will be improved lighting, clear signage, and pedestrian refuges in the middle of the road to improve the safety of people crossing the road at these locations. There will be shared paths at the roundabouts and extending short distances along SH58. These paths provide an alternative off-road option for cyclists through the roundabouts, as well as a path for people walking to access the bus stops. Median barriers will be installed and there will be low level planting in the middle of the roundabout, so drivers can easily see across the roundabout.

Alternative turn arounds

Road safety barriers give you a second chance, so a simple mistake on the road doesn’t cost a life. Barriers stop your vehicle before it hits something harder – like a tree, a power pole or an oncoming vehicle.

Installing a median safety barrier means that some right turns will be removed and some of the roads that connect to SH58 will become left-in/left-out only.

While some people living and working along SH58 will have very little change to their access, others will have a few minutes added to their journeys.

Over 19,000 vehicles travel State Highway 58 (SH58) daily, but its current geometry and roadside hazards are contributing factors to many of the high severity crashes in recent years. Its 5-year crash history includes 10 serious or fatal crashes. These incidents also cause travel time reliability problems from crash related delays and closures of the road.

In recent years there have been rounds of consultation with the community and other stakeholders and this has led to expanding the scope of road safety work on SH58 to achieve greater safety outcomes than originally proposed.

In 2018 the speed limit was lowered from 100km/h to 80km/h. We’re already seeing positive results with a reduction in the speed being travelled by the fastest motorists, while the average speeds across the route have been maintained at just under 80km/h. We also addressed some of the high-risk curves west of Mt Cecil Rd, by straightening them and installing a median barrier.

Initially there was only funding available from the National Land Transport Fund for the Stage 1 safety improvements and the design and consenting for Stage 2. Following feedback from the community, we also funded some interim safety measures in the Stage 2 area. These measures included new line marking, improved lighting, electronic speed indicator devices and larger signage.

In January 2020, the SH58 Stage 2 safety improvements were announced as part of the Government’s multi-billion NZ Upgrade Programme (NZUP). In June 2021, the Government reconfirmed its support for the direction and funding commitment to deliver the NZ Upgrade Programme, providing certainty for the delivery of the SH58 Safety Improvements project. The estimated $105 million investment recognises the importance of road safety and the key role of SH58 in the continued growth of the Greater Wellington region.