Permanent new speed limits on State Highway 22 between Drury interchange and Paerata and on 200 local roads in the Franklin area will take effect on Tuesday 30 June.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and Auckland Transport have been working collaboratively on implementing speed limit changes to improve safety as the Franklin area continues to grow and traffic increases.

“No crash resulting in death or serious injury is acceptable, so it’s important we take every opportunity to address the risk. Fewer crashes will also mean fewer closures, which will increase the reliability of the SH22 route.” Says Waka Kotahi Director of Regional Relationships Steve Mutton.

Auckland Transport’s executive general manager of safety, Bryan Sherritt, says roads in Auckland’s rural areas like Franklin are tricky to navigate even for experienced drivers.

“With several sharp bends, narrow high-speed lanes with low visibility, a simple mistake can lead to devastating consequences.”

The new limits on SH22 reduce speeds from the current 100kmh to 80kmh and from 70kmh to 60kmh.

Over the last 10 years (2009-

2018), there were 212 crashes on this stretch of road with seven people killed and 42 seriously injured. Commuters, local businesses and freight use this road. Up to 25,000 vehicles a day are using SH22 to connect to SH1, and vehicle numbers are increasing.

To address safety concerns, Waka Kotahi has reviewed speed limits on this road to ensure speeds are safe and right for the road. Waka Kotahi will also undertake a range of safety improvements along SH22.

“While lowering the speed limit on this stretch of road is something we can do now to improve safety, we are also progressing safety improvements along SH22, including a roundabout, turning bays and safety barriers.”

Mr Sherritt says AT wants to make the roads safe for everyone – whether that’s people walking and cycling, kids outside schools, senior citizens or people driving.

“We are guided by the Vision Zero approach to transport safety, which prioritises human safety over other measures like minor time savings. Setting safe and survivable speeds for our road network is the quickest and most cost-effective way to immediately reduce death and serious injury.”

The setting of the permanent speed limits on SH22 follows engagement with the NZ Police, the AA, and the Road Transport Forum, and consultation with the public, say Steve Mutton.

“We thank the members of the public that provided their feedback on the proposed speed limit changes. Together with the community’s insights and our technical review we have been able to make an informed decision on these speed limit changes.”

From 30 June 2020 the following new permanent speed limits on SH22 will apply:

More information on the permanent speed limits and our consultation summary, including the submissions, can be found at: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh22-drury-interchange-to-paerata/

See https://at.govt.nz/safespeeds for more information on AT’s Safe Speeds programme.

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