Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) will begin consultation this month on raising speed limits for the Kāpiti Expressway to 110km/h.

“Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and this proposal supports that outcome by reducing travel times and increasing efficiency for travel in and out of Wellington,” Mr Brown says.

“The Mackays to Peka Peka and Peka Peka to Ōtaki Roads of National Significance (RoNS), which make up the Kāpiti Expressway, were started by the previous National Government and were designed and constructed to a high safety standard. Since these roads opened, no one has died in a crash.

“In addition to the proven safety benefits of removing heavy traffic out of town centres like Paekākāriki, Paraparaumu, Waikanae, and Ōtaki, these RoNS have made regional freight trips more efficient. They’ve also enabled local road users to get to where they need to go more quickly and unlocked new opportunities for housing and urban development.

“I’m pleased to see NZTA is also making good progress on the next phase of this important corridor, from Ōtaki to north of Levin, and I look forward to seeing similar speed limits set once construction is completed in coming years.”

Consultation on raising the speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway from 100km/h to 110km/h begins on 22 April 2024 and will last four weeks.

“This is all part of the Coalition Government’s agenda to build the infrastructure needed to grow the economy, reduce travel times and increase the productivity of our transport network.”

Notes:

Some nearby sections of State Highway 1 (SH1) corridor north of Wellington are not being consulted on at this stage.

• Transmission Gully - Te Aranui o Te Rangihaeata is also built to the same high safety and operational standards, and early indications are that the crash numbers reflect the same improvement in safety. While Transmission Gully is operational, there are still some remaining works that need to be completed before a speed review can begin.
• The 3.2 km Raumati Straights section of the Kāpiti Expressway, from the northern end of Transmission Gully to south of Poplar Avenue, doesn’t yet meet some of the safety requirements to be included in this review.Planning work is underway to scope and design the necessary improvements, and NZTA will have more to say on work to be started and completed here in due course.

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