Ruapehu District Council to investigate speed limit reduction on Ohakune Mountain Rd

The Ohakune community has been raising concerns about speeding in the area for three years. Photo / Zaryd Wilson

The Ruapehu District Council is to investigate lowering the speed limit on a “critically important stretch” of road in Ohakune.

A council report said that for three years, community members and Ngāti Rangi had raised concerns about speeds in the area serving as the gateway between Ohakune township and Ohakune Mountain Rd.

The speed limit on the urban section of Ohakune Mountain Rd, which covers about 300m, is 50km/h.

But vehicles were accelerating early in response to the visible 80km/h sign, creating “a high-risk mixing zone with pedestrians, children and cyclists”, the report said.

“The concern has been compounded by the growing popularity of the Te Ara Mangawhero shared trail.

“This trend is expected to continue as the trail’s profile grows.”

The report was presented by community, governance and resilience manager Tasha Paladin at a council meeting on March 25.

It recommended that councillors direct staff to investigate and progress a temporary 30km/h speed restriction.

“This is a relatively short but critically important stretch where township activity meets the beginning of the mountain road corridor,” it said.

“The area experiences a high concentration of pedestrians, cyclists, children and visitors, particularly during ski season and peak tourism periods.”

It said the Waimarino-Waiouru Community Board recommended at a March 12 meeting that the council prioritise speed management in the area.

“Potential solutions may include speed tables, visual narrowing, gateway treatments, improved pedestrian crossings and lighting improvements.”

Paladin told elected members there could be various options for speed management, each with different costs.

“What council is being asked to do is endorse [the community board’s] recommendation and give officers direction to further the exploration, not to approve a design, not to approve a speed limit or to commit funding,” she said.

Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the recommendation.

Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton told the Chronicle there were safety concerns on the road and “we’ll have to deal with it in due course”.

“We’ll talk to the community board once we have a plan and get on with it, really,” he said.

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.