SH58 safety work continues
As a date nears to open Transmission Gully, work is continuing on a connecting road that has long been considered one of the most dangerous in New Zealand.
In 2020, Stuff reported that during the previous 10 years, four people had died and a further 19 had been seriously injured on State Highway 58, a short arterial route between Porirua and the Hutt Valley.
In 2018, the road’s speed was lowered from 100km to 80kmh.
In 2019, the Automobile Association predicted that an extra 8000 vehicles would use SH58, once Transmission Gully opened. The AA said ongoing delays in muchneeded improvements would result in more people dying.
With Transmission Gully set to open, Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry welcomes work to make SH58 safer.
‘‘When Transmission Gully finally opens, there will be significantly more cars on the Haywards Hill. Ensuring the road is usable must be a priority so people feel safe travelling to and from the Hutt Valley,’’ Barry says.
The impact Transmission Gully will have is a reminder, he says, of the need to have a regional approach to transport and not just look at one major project at a time.
‘‘We should also be exploring with our partners the potential of better public transport connections through these routes.’’
Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy says the road has long been a source of concern and he expects an increase in vehicles of between 20 and 30 per cent, once Transmission Gully opens.
Transmission Gully will be a major boost for the Hutt Valley economy but, to get the maximum benefit from the new road, SH58 has to be made much safer, he says. ‘‘We have to have a safe and functioning SH58.’’
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says it is continuing to make it safer for everyone who uses it. Planning has begun for the final stage of improvements, including new roundabouts at two key intersections.
Director of regional relationships, Emma Speight, says the work is an essential component of plans to prevent people dying and being seriously injured on roads in Greater Wellington, alongside improvements on other highways in the region.
As well as reducing the rate of crashes, improvements will help ensure that when a crash does happen, the people involved are more likely to walk away without serious injuries, Speight says.
Construction of the current phase of the project between Mt Cecil Rd and Harris Rd is well under way and expected to be completed this year. It includes road widening and new safety barriers.
Waka Kotahi is starting the planning phase for the final stage of improvements – the section between Harris Road and the Transmission Gully SH1 interchange:
■ Roundabouts at Moonshine Rd and at the Murphys/Flightys Rd intersections
■ Widening the road, adding sealed shoulders and side barriers
■ Installing median barriers for the entire length of the road.
‘‘We are working to deliver all stages of this project as quickly as possible, providing safer access between the Hutt Valley and Porirua.’’
The safety improvements are budgeted to cost $105 million.
Waka Kotahi says ‘‘over 19,000’’ vehicles use the road daily, ‘‘but its current geometry and roadside hazards are contributing factors to many of the high-severity crashes in recent years’’.
‘‘Its five-year crash history includes 10 serious or fatal crashes. These incidents also cause travel time reliability problems from crash-related delays and closures of the road.’’