Countdown to Easter weekend – plan your journey

With so many people travelling to be with family and friends over Easter, the NZ Transport Agency is reminding drivers to plan ahead, allow plenty of time and be patient when they head out on the road this long weekend.

Regular users of the Wellington region’s coastal road will know that road works have contributed to increased journey times over the last six weeks. It is expected that Easter traffic will mean even more vehicles are on the road.

Motorists heading north out of Wellington this Easter can look forward to all four lanes at Raumati being open, to ease their journey along the coast.

The Raumati Straights have been undergoing a significant upgrade to bring them into line with the rest of the Mackays to Peka Peka expressway. The Raumati Straights section of the MacKays to Peka Peka project finishes in October, and the entire project is due to be completed by late 2016/early 2017.

NZ Transport Agency regional performance manager Mark Owen says the upgrade has meant some significant delays along the coast in recent weeks, and having all lanes open in both directions will make for a smoother journey north.

“For safety reasons there will be a 70km/hr limit in place, but having all the lanes open is a good Easter present for people moving around the coast over the long weekend.”

Mr Owen says as usual at Easter, passing lanes will be closed at peak travel times to help get everyone through the area as smoothly as possible.

“Everyone likes passing lanes but nobody likes queue jumpers. When traffic is building up, unfortunately you can’t have one without the other. With the support of the Police, closing passing lanes during holiday peaks actually means more vehicles get through and it’s safer for everyone.”

The left hand turning lane at the Otaihanga roundabout will be closed to northbound traffic this Thursdayand Friday. Local traffic will still be able to turn into and out of Otaihanga but through traffic will not be able to use the turning lane to queue jump. On Easter Monday the passing lane at Forest Lakes north of Otaki heading south will also be closed, and extra traffic management at the roundabout in Otaki township.

From the Wednesday after Easter, motorists will be asked to slow down as they travel towards Wellington along State Highway 1 just north of the Collins Avenue Bridge near Linden. This will enable construction vehicles to enter and exit a new access point for the Transmission Gully project. The motorway speed limit will be reduced to 80 km/h for southbound traffic in this area for the safety of all road users and will be in place for the duration of the project. Transmission Gully is one of the projects underway to transform Wellington’s Northern Corridor.

Mr Owen encourages drivers to take advantage of a number of resources to ensure their journey is as safe and stress-free as possible. “The best way to travel is to start your journey online. Our online real time highway information service will tell you whether there are any travel warnings or closures ahead. You can also check out the cameras to see how traffic is moving in and out of the city. This means you can choose the best route and time of day to make your journey safely and without rushing. We’ve also put together maps to show the peak holiday traffic times to help people decide the best time to travel to avoid the queues.”

• Get information on congestion hotspots from www.nzta.govt.nz/hotspots

• Visit www.tfw.govt.nz to plan ahead and find out about traffic impacts

• Call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS

• Find real time travel information at http://nzta.govt.nz/traffic-and-travel-information

• Follow @nztawgtn for local updates - the hashtag for Easter is #EasterTraffic

• Subscribe to email updates at Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.

“Keeping up to date with traffic conditions means that motorists can make informed travel choices and reduce the chance of experiencing delays during high traffic flows on the highway,” says Mr Owen.

“We ask that people drive safely, with their own, and others’ friends and family in mind, and we wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Easter holiday.”

ENDS

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