Wellington peak-time road closure to continue

Paekakariki Hill Rd is often used as a detour if there are crashes on State Highway 1. Photo / Rosalie Willis

The weekly closure of a stretch of high-risk road north of Wellington has the backing from locals.

Paekakariki Hill Rd is a major alternative route for peak traffic heading north from or southbound towards Wellington and the Hutt Valley. Since late last year, the NZ Transport Agency's trialled closures at Friday evening peak-time, to help reduce crashes and congestion.

The steep and winding road has a notorious reputation for crashes. It's even featured on a most dangerous roads in the world website.

Crash analysis system data said there had been 486 crashes on Paekakariki Hill Rd since 2000. The speed limit was also dropped to 60km/h last year.

In peak traffic times, the road causes problems when traffic merges north on to State Highway 1 at Paekakariki.

NZ Transport Agency Regional Transport Systems Manager Mark Owen said due to the benefits identified in the trial closures, it was decided to continue them during Friday peak travel times.

"The results of the closures have shown that closing Paekakariki Hill Rd has successfully reduced safety risks and significantly improved journey times for many State Highway 1 travellers by between three to 25 minutes."

Data gathered by the agency from November 2018 through to March 2019 showed 54 per cent of journeys were shorter with the road closed.

Journey time impacts. Graphic / NZ Transport Agency

As a result, 763 vehicles that regularly use the road and merge with traffic took other routes instead, resulting in "reduced safety risks."

A survey was also conducted of 1491 people impacted by the closure.

Of 64 respondents who said they lived on the Paekakariki Hill Rd, 87 per cent said felt safer when the road was closed to through traffic.

Janne Smith has lived at her family farm on Paekakariki Hill Rd for more than 50 years.

She said the closures were "great" and "stopping the rat race that goes through usually."

Smith said people often use the road to dodge congestion and many drove over the 60km/h speed limit dangerously.

She said it did feel safer having it closed, "if you could call our road safe."

Smith said the security could be better, as cars were still trying to get through to beat traffic.

"People are stopping and saying I'm going to visit so-and-so or that they are residents."

Overall, 57 per cent of all survey respondents were in favour of ongoing closures, 36 per cent were not.

Owen said they would continue to work with the police and local councils and will "continue to monitor the benefits and impacts of the ongoing closures before announcing a decision about long-term closures."