Variable Speed Limit—Christchurch Northern Motorway, State Highway 1
Pursuant to clause 6.1 of Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2003 and a delegation from the NZ Transport Agency, I, Glenn Bunting, Network Manager, approve a variable speed limit on the southbound section of the Christchurch Northern Motorway, State Highway 1, in accordance with the conditions set out in this notice.
The NZ Transport Agency may set a variable speed limit of 60km/h on the section of State Highway 1 described in condition 2 of this notice. The variable speed limit may be used to manage the safety of road users and the efficient flow of traffic due to traffic congestion, in emergency circumstances or during road works.
A variable speed limit may be set on the southbound section of the Christchurch Northern Motorway, State Highway 1, from the Ohoka Road over-bridge at Kaiapoi to 120 metres north of the intersection with Main North Road and Dickeys Road, at Belfast.
Speed limit signs that comply with Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices 2004 must be installed as follows:
(a) two “Variable speed” (R1-2.1) signs (one sign adjacent to each lane) facing road users travelling south, to notify them when the variable speed limit is operating:
(i) at the northern end of the variable speed limit;
(ii) at additional locations within the section of State Highway 1 described in condition 2 of this notice, with a spacing of no more than 2.0km between sign locations;
(b) two “Standard” (R1-1) speed limit signs facing road users travelling south and leaving the variable speed limit, to notify them of the permanent speed limit beyond that point:
(i) at the southern end of the variable speed limit;
(ii) on each off-ramp leaving the section of State Highway 1 described in condition 2 of this notice;
(c) at least one “Variable speed” (R1-2.1) sign facing road users on each onramp joining the section of State Highway 1 described in condition 2 of this notice, to notify them when the variable speed limit is operating.
The variable speed limit may apply to the entire section of State Highway 1 described in condition 2 of this notice or may apply to part of that section only, extending north from Belfast in consecutive lengths of road bounded by the location of the variable speed limit signs.
The variable speed limit that applies to a length of road at any time must be displayed on the variable speed limit signs within that length of road. When the permanent speed limit for the road applies, the variable speed limit signs must be blank.
Records must be kept to show the actual speed limit applied to any particular length of road at any time. The records must be available for public inspection and include the time the speed limit changed, the date, the speed limit and a description of the beginning and end points of the length of road to which the speed limit applied.
The NZ Transport Agency must set the variable speed limit by making a bylaw in accordance with Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2003.
Signed at Wellington this 19th day of October 2015.
GLENN BUNTING, Network Manager.