Roadworks begin on State Highway 3 and 3A between New Plymouth and Hāwera

As part of the project, Mangorei School pupils designed their ideal roundabout.

Safety improvements are being installed on State Highway 3 and 3A between New Plymouth and Hāwera.

The safety improvement programme launched at Mangorei School, 400m from the intersection of Mangorei Rd and SH3/Junction Rd, will start later this year.

The works include an intersection speed zone and installation of flexible median barriers immediately north of Junction St, and between Junction St and Mangorei Rd, New Plymouth.

The 420m southbound passing lane at Junction St that is much shorter than the minimum safe overtaking length of 600m-800m, will be removed as part of these works.

Mangorei School principal Gary Poulgrain says he is looking forward to the benefits the construction of a roundabout at the intersection will bring.

“Safety is paramount for the school and there’s currently a high level of apprehension amongst families as they approach the Mangorei Rd/SH3 intersection with vehicles coming from a number of directions, at high speeds. For many parents on our field trips they predominantly turn left and go down Mangorei Rd, as opposed to trying to navigate the 100km intersection if they turn right.”

In the lead-up to the programme launch, pupils at Mangorei School were invited to draw an image of what their ideal roundabout would look like and what it would include. Ideas ranged from having the school principal in the middle, a tropical island and a school playground.

Later this year work will start to construct the roundabout at the Mangorei Rd intersection.

An intersection speed zone will also be installed as part of the project. It will detect when traffic is approaching the highway from Junction St or turning right into Junction St from the highway, and will temporarily reduce the local SH3 speed limit to 60km/h.

As part of the project, Waka Kotahi is planning the installation of 6km of flexible median barriers at five sites between Inglewood and Hāwera, to begin in early 2024.

The entire New Plymouth to Hāwera project will improve safety for more than 65km of Taranaki highway, through the installation of flexible median barriers and turnaround facilities on SH3 and widening of the centreline on SH3A, says Waka Kotahi senior project manager Sree Nutulapati.

“This part of the network is a crucial link for communities travelling between Taranaki and Manawatū. Currently, anywhere between 7500 and 15,000 vehicles travel SH3 every day and 3500 vehicles use SH3A. SH3 is considered a high-risk rural road with road crashes resulting in two deaths or serious injuries every year. In the period between 2018 and 2022, there were nine deaths and 40 serious-injury crashes. Road fatalities and injuries, regardless of their severity, are unacceptable. That’s why we are investing in making road safety one of our priorities.”

Sree says thousands of people every day rely on the state highway network.

“It’s crucial people feel safe in their travels. Projects like the one on SH3 and 3A are key to making people feel safe.