State Highways you'd like to see improved

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DarthKermit

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#150141 12-Jul-2014 14:43

I live in Palmerston North. The SH that I'd most like to see improved is the section of SH1 on the Desert Road.

Many, many other parts of SH1 both north and south of where I live have been realigned, widened and had passing lanes installed over the last 20+ years. However, the worst parts of the Desert Road remain. Anyone who drives over it will know what I mean: lots of dips, sharp corners, areas of road in deep shadow and few passing opportunities.

It would be great to see a commitment to start improving some of the worst sections of this road. I realise that it can't all be done at once as there is never enough money in the roading budget to do everything that's desired.

Anyway, that's my two cents worth. What sections of the NZ State Highway network would you like to see improved?

Can we please keep this discussion to state highways only?

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#1087753 12-Jul-2014 15:06

Call "08004highways" or log an online complaint. http://www.nzta.govt.nz/about/contact/get-in-touch.html

Current government investment strategy is for roads of economic benefit, with repairs and maintenance on a risk priority basis. So the more complaints and issues notified might see something given more priority, although a lot is based on crash history.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

alasta

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#1087756 12-Jul-2014 15:17

Aside from the shambles on SH1 north of Wellington I actually don't think our state highways are that bad. For me the main bottlenecks are the Kaikoura, Nelson and Rimutaka ranges and there isn't much that can realistically be done about them because they're constrained by geography.

Having said that I suppose a couple of passing lanes between Blenheim and Pelorus Bridge might be handy.

SteveON

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#1087762 12-Jul-2014 15:25

Whilst you're at it, can you ask about 2million people to immigrate to NZ? Our country can't sustain any real improvements. Our population is just too small.

nathan

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#1087764 12-Jul-2014 15:27

SteveON: Whilst you're at it, can you ask about 2million people to immigrate to NZ? Our country can't sustain any real improvements. Our population is just too small.

and get them not to want to live in Auckland

DarthKermit

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#1087766 12-Jul-2014 15:30

I agree, for a small country with a spread out population the highways are pretty good overall.

The Nelson side of SH6 was supposed to be upgraded a long time ago, but got shuffled down the list of priorities. It's good that one side of the Whangamoa saddle was improved however.

I haven't driven over it, but I see that a good section of the worst hair pin bends were removed from the Rimutaka highway. At least it's better than it was.

IIRC, there are no passing lanes from Blenheim - Pelorus, so yes, a couple or three wouldn't hurt.

The Kaikoura coast is a real challenge and I can't see much of that road improving for a long time.

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

Benoire

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#1087769 12-Jul-2014 15:37

Expect to see less and less money spent on the maintenance or improvement of the existing network. Currently the 'Roads of National Significance' are using practically all of the budgets available in the National Land Transport Fund; this fund is generated from fuel excise, Road User Charges etc.

This only set to get worse when the NZTA change their assistance rates for local authorities such as Auckland receiving the least at 50% for fundable works despite putting in around 2/3rds of the overall NLTF. It appears that the NZTA have recognised the falling vehicle use across the country and are proposing to reduce their funding of local road maintenance to the point where a local road will only be fundable once it is falling apart; so goodbye to preventative maintenance and hello to pot hole central!

Source: I'm a principal engineer for a road controlling authority who deals with the NZTA on a regular basis.

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DarthKermit

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#1087771 12-Jul-2014 15:39

SteveON: Our country can't sustain any real improvements. Our population is just too small.

I don't think that we do too badly with what we have. I simply intended this to be a discussion about what would be nice to see improved, but in a realistic way.

When SH3 through the Manawatu Gorge was closed for a year due to a massive slip, I saw people on the internet saying that they should bypass most of the gorge with a viaduct up the centre of the river or a tunnel through the hillside. Great! I wonder how many of them actually costed up their suggestions. Those are not realistic solutions due to massive costs. One doesn't need to be a roading engineer to predict that either such option would cost a great deal of money.

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

MikeB4

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#1087773 12-Jul-2014 15:50

A bridge across the Cook Strait

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

DarthKermit

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#1087775 12-Jul-2014 15:52

KiwiNZ: A bridge across the Cook Strait

What about a ferry? Nah, that'd never work, would it???

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MikeB4

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#1087778 12-Jul-2014 15:53

DarthKermit:
KiwiNZ: A bridge across the Cook Strait

What about a ferry? Nah, that'd never work, would it???

They keep losing things or sailing into things, but a ferry was a good idea for a while.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Batman

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#1087779 12-Jul-2014 15:57

The entire sh1 should be minimum 4 lanes (2 each direction)

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Sidestep

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#1087780 12-Jul-2014 15:58

Maungamuka gorge SH1 Northland.
I LOVE driving it.. hate cleaning out my passenger's puke afterwards..

MikeB4

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#1087782 12-Jul-2014 15:59

joker97: The entire sh1 should be minimum 4 lanes (2 each direction)

Would be nice but petrol tax would have to quadruple

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

alasta

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#1087783 12-Jul-2014 16:00

DarthKermit: I haven't driven over it, but I see that a good section of the worst hair pin bends were removed from the Rimutaka highway. At least it's better than it was.

Yes, they did a lot of work near the summit on the Upper Hutt side, and it's made a big difference.

The Kaikoura coast is a real challenge and I can't see much of that road improving for a long time.

I could be wrong, but as far as I recall there are no passing lanes on that long straight heading out of Kaikoura to the south. It would be really good to put a passing lane in there so that cars have a final opportunity to pass any trucks or campervans before hitting those funny little cliff face tunnels and the ranges.

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#1087784 12-Jul-2014 16:00

SteveON: Whilst you're at it, can you ask about 2million people to immigrate to NZ? Our country can't sustain any real improvements. Our population is just too small.

And do what? Unemployment is quite high, not sure about job prospects.

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