Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2017—110 km/h Speed Limit—State Highway 1, Waikato Expressway Tamahere to Hampton Downs

Pursuant to clauses 4.6(4) and 4.6(5) of Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2017 and a delegation from Waka Kotahi, the NZ Transport Agency, I, Kane Patena, Director of Land Transport, approve the setting of the speed limit described in clauses 1 and 2 under the conditions set out in clauses 3 of this notice.

Approval of 110km/h Speed Limit

1. 110km/h Speed Limit

The Waka Kotahi, Transport Services Group (as the road controlling authority), may set a speed limit of 110 km/h on the 64 km length of State Highway 1 specified in clause 2 of this notice according to the conditions specified in clause 3 of this notice.

2. Sections of State Highway

A 110km/h speed limit may be set for the following sections of State Highway 1:

from approximately 650m north of the Hampton Downs Road overbridge to 1.1km south of the Tamahere interchange (Airport Road); and
the extents at the interchanges along that length as shown in the diagrams in Figure 1.

3. Conditions of Approval

3.1 Mitigations to be Completed

Section Length	Mitigations to be Completed
Hampton Downs, 1.5km (RS/RP 486 / 7.30 – 8.80)	Signage and marking improvements, shoulder widening, and side barrier protection in both directions. Temporary traffic control required until mitigations complete including temporary traffic barriers reducing through traffic to one lane each direction and a temporary speed limit of 70km/h or less until works are completed later in 2022.
Ohinewai, 8km (RS/RP 504 / 0.79 – 8.82)	Signage and marking improvements, shoulder widening, and 15km of side barrier protection. Armitage Road (RS / RP 504 / 3.95 – 3.30) – Extend the northbound deceleration taper by an additional 30m to a total length of 160m. Removal of vegetation and a 4m off-set for the proposed side barrier to exceed minimum stopping sight distance criteria (RS/RP 504 / 2.62 – 2.39). At-grade accessway safety improvements: Stockpile access @ RS/RP 504/2.45 to be closed. Gated emergency access @ RS/RP 504/5.951 to be closed. Tainui farm accessway @ RS/RP 504/1375 – evidence of access only via temporary traffic management for farmland access until offline private accessway constructed to remove direct access to State Highway 1. Stones accessway @ RS/RP 504/1.840: Immediate mitigation – static 1200mm W18.4 trucks operate warning sign with turning supplement installed in advance of entrance. Short term mitigation – electronic advanced warning signage activated by traffic turning in and out of entrance to be installed as soon as possible and no later than December 2022. Medium term mitigation (by July 2024): offline private accessway constructed to remove direct access to State Highway 1; or barriers to be relocated and deceleration and acceleration lanes constructed with additional electronic signs with merging supplement for the departure from the entrance.
Ngaruawahia, 6km (RS/RP 528 / 0.20 – 534 / 0/00)	Signage, marking and pavement surface improvements, shoulder widening, and side barrier protection in both directions. Temporary traffic control required until mitigations complete including temporary traffic controls reducing through traffic to one lane each direction and a temporary speed limit of 70km/h or less until works are completed by July 2023.
Tamahere, 1.5km (RS/RP 557 / 3.10 – 4.60)	Signage and marking improvements, shoulder widening, and side barrier protection in both directions to achieve KiwiRAP rating of no less than 4. Temporary traffic control required until mitigations complete including temporary traffic barriers reducing through traffic to one lane each direction and a temporary speed limit of 70km/h or less until works are completed later in 2022.

Figure 1 – 110km/h Extents at the Interchanges

Setting of speed Limits Waikato Expressway 110 km/h

3.2 Signs

In addition to any traffic control devices required under any other enactment, traffic signs that comply with Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices 2004 must be installed to identify a length of road subject to a 110km/h speed limit and where the road returns to a lower speed limit as follows:

Two “110 km/h” (R1-1.2) or “Motorway or expressway threshold” (R1-5.6) signs, one on each side of the road, at the beginning of the section of road to which the 110km/h speed limit applies, facing road users travelling towards the 110km/h speed limit; and
at least one repeater “110 km/h” (R1-1.2) or “Motorway or expressway threshold” (R1-5.6) sign installed with a spacing of no more than 3.7 km between speed limit sign locations, for each section of road to which a 110km/h speed limit applies; and
two “Standard” (R1-1), or “100 km/h” (R1-1.1), or “Urban/rural threshold (R1-5.1)”, or “Motorway or expressway threshold” (R1-5.6) signs, one on each side of the road, at the end of a section of road to which a 110km/h speed limit applies, facing road users leaving the 110km/h speed limit and showing the speed limit that applies to the road beyond that point; and
advance warning “Speed limit ahead” (W10-3) signs located no more than 300 metres before the end of the 110km/h speed limit; and
additional “Standard” (R1-1) or “100km/h” (R1-1.1) signs located no more than 500 metres after the end of the 110km/h speed limit, if necessary to reinforce the lower speed limit.

3.3 Monitoring and Management

The Waka Kotahi, Transport Services Group, must monitor and manage the sections of road to which a 110km/h speed limit applies and sections of road where the speed limit reduces to a lower limit to support compliance with the speed limits and ensure safe operation of the road.

Setting the Speed Limit

4. Bylaw

In accordance with Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2017, the NZ Transport Agency, Transport Services Group, must set the 110km/h speed limits by making a bylaw.

Signed at Wellington this 4th day of May 2022.

KANE PATENA, Director of Land Transport, Waka Kotahi.