Now the Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway is open, the status of old SH1 as a state highway will be removed and responsibility for it transferred from NZTA to Kāpiti Coast District Council. As the road will officially become a local road, works are required to ensure it’s fit-for-purpose.
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 Makahuri in 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.
We’re transforming the old state highway into a local road. This involves changing the road from one that prioritises through traffic into a road which is more suitable for pedestrians and local traffic.
In the retail area, the footpath, kerbs and intersections are being upgraded. A new pedestrian crossing will be installed, and the road surface will be replaced.
These works are being staged and are expected to be finished in July 2026. Once the upgrades are complete, the old highway will be handed to Kāpiti Coast District Council to own and maintain.
Please note that Kāpiti Coast District Council are also undertaking separate works at Rahui Road roundabout in 2025.
Due to the nature of the work, including upgrading footpaths, kerbs, gutters, vehicle crossings, and the road surface, there will be some short-term disruption for the community. However, we’re doing as much as we can to minimise the impact of these works.
Some of this work will require traffic management to help create safety areas to keep workers and the public safe while work is underway. While this traffic management may impact a small number of parking spaces on Main Highway during works, parking will still be available elsewhere on old SH1, side roads, and beside the train station.
Te Horo Beach Road intersection – artist's impression.
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:
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.
