Closure cuts 30 mins off commute

The closure of Paeka¯ ka¯ riki Hill Rd to cut travel times on State Highway 1 appears to have worked, with trips out of Wellington shaved by 30 minutes during the evening peak.

And, following the success, the New Zealand Transport Agency is not ruling out making the closure permanent to ease traffic in the future.

The agency has tested the road closure on two of the past three Fridays, shutting the road north of Wellington between 2pm and 7pm.

The idea is to see if removing traffic merging on to SH1 from the road at Paeka¯ka¯riki would reduce congestion and make travel quicker, while also reducing the likelihood of accidents.

‘‘The extra traffic using Paeka¯ ka¯ riki Hill Rd at peak times is at a higher risk of accidents, both on the steep, winding road, and when merging with traffic at Paeka¯ka¯riki on SH1,’’ NZTA regional systems manager Mark Owen said.

Paeka¯ ka¯ riki Hill Rd road connects with SH1 in the north, and Grays Rd, which runs between Pauatahanui and Plimmerton, in the south. The first trials took place on November 28 and December 7, with two more to follow on December 14 and 21.

During the trials, journey times on SH1 between Plimmerton and Mackays Crossing – the section adjacent to the closed road – were an average of 30 minutes shorter between 5pm and 7pm, Owen said.

The effect was not as noticeable between 2pm and 5pm.

But for each minute saved by drivers on SH1, a minute was lost for drivers unable to use the closed road.

About 10,000 vehicles travel on SH1 between Plimmerton and Mackays Crossing between 2pm and 7pm each day, compared with 800 vehicles typically recorded on Paeka¯ ka¯ riki Hill Rd, Owen said.

‘‘It is recognised that road users [normally] using Paeka¯ka¯riki Hill Rd are detoured during the trial closures, and are experiencing up to 30-minute delays, with the longer delays being between 3pm and 5pm.’’

The agency would decide early next year on whether to make the closure permanent.

‘‘Following the completion of the fourth trial before Christmas, the information collected will be fully assessed and used to support any longer-term decisions in the new year.’’

Ka¯ piti Coast District Council infrastructure services group manager Sean Mallon said vehicles often used Paeka¯ ka¯ riki Hill Rd as a shortcut to get on and off SH1, causing considerable delays for traffic.