Transmission Gully speed change to 110km/h

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freitasm

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#323988 12-Feb-2026 10:46

Transmission Gully accelerating to 110km/h | Beehive.govt.nz

Transmission Gully has received the green light for a new 110 km/h speed limit for drivers travelling between Wellington and the Kāpiti Coast, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop.

The new speed limit will take effect from 12:01am on Monday, 16 February 2026.

“This change is part of a wider effort to fix the basics of our transport network and set it up for the future. We’re committed to providing state highways that help people get where they need to go quickly and safely,” says Mr Bishop.

“Transmission Gully is a critical transport link for Wellington and Kāpiti, carrying around 22,000 vehicles a day and providing a safe, modern, and resilient route between the regions.

“The road, as one of the previous National Government’s first Roads of National
Significance, was designed and built to support higher-speed travel, subject to meeting strict safety standards. Since opening in 2022, Transmission Gully has recorded low crash rates, with no deaths despite more than 150 barrier strikes. Safety features including two lanes in each direction and a flexible median barrier between opposing lanes help reduce the risk of death or serious injury in a crash.

“The new higher speed limit applies to the 27‑kilometre section of State Highway 1 between the Linden and Paekākāriki interchanges, which is currently posted at 100 km/h. Heavy vehicles and vehicles towing trailers will continue to have a 90 km/h limit.

“Public consultation on the proposed change took place in mid‑2025. Of the 2,061 submissions received, 92% supported raising the Transmission Gully limit to 110 km/h.

“I want to thank drivers for their patience over summer while essential maintenance and resurfacing work was completed. That work has helped bring the road to the point where a higher speed limit can be safely applied.

“Police will apply the same enforcement to 110km/h roads as any other part of the road network. Drivers can expect to see police patrols on New Zealand roads anywhere, at any time. Drivers should continue to drive to the conditions, free from impairment and distraction, and make sure everyone’s wearing their seatbelt.

“Although Raumati Straights was consulted on at the same time, due to constraints on this section of the corridor, including the rail line and proximity to Queen Elizabeth Park, the Raumati Straights were not built to the same design and safety standards as other sections of the Kāpiti Expressway. Technical assessments determined that this section did not meet the minimum safety and design requirements for a 110km/h speed limit.

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#3460962 12-Feb-2026 11:40

Speed limits are funny thing. I drove over half million kms around the country in the past decade in cars and some of the changes were pretty minor. Between Nelson and Blenheim and Napier and Taupo the limit by and large dropped from 100kmh to 80kmh. For me it didn't make a difference. Both roads are generally so windy that you're nowhere near 100kmh for decent chunks of it.

In some respects it made it more relaxing as you didn't have such a large speed discrepancy say between a car capable of doing 100kmh up a gradient vs the big truck crawling up at 40kmh.

But hey, people want to drive fast I guess. Like I constantly wonder why cars aren't limited to 100kmh electronically anyway. The conclusion for me at least is that people occasionally like to give it an absolute blat from time to time on public roads. And this is said as a petrol head (with plenty of track time).

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#3460964 12-Feb-2026 11:48

mudguard:

Both roads are generally so windy that you're nowhere near 100kmh for decent chunks of it.

Transmission Gully is not generally windy thou.

Its an expressway grade (chip seal withstanding) Highway, Its very similar in design standard to the Waikato and Kapiti expressways, where speeds of 110 are a) permitted and b) not unsafe

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#3460978 12-Feb-2026 12:45

With them leaving the Raumati straights as a tiny 100km zone between two massive big 110km zones, NZTA are going to generate so much revenue they'll probably manage to pay off TG, M2PP, PP2O and 02NL in a few months.

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johno1234

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#3460981 12-Feb-2026 13:03

The Waikato Expressway 110kph zone is wonderful.

PolicyGuy

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#3460982 12-Feb-2026 13:04

Transmission Gully has received the green light for a new 110 km/h speed limit for drivers travelling between Wellington and the Kāpiti Coast, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop.

The new speed limit will take effect from 12:01am on Monday, 16 February 2026.

Well, except for the long stretches marked as 50km/h & 30km/h whilst they - very s-l-o-w-l-y - rip & replace the failing seal the original contractors put in
Sigh

PolicyGuy

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#3460984 12-Feb-2026 13:14

Lias:

With them leaving the Raumati straights as a tiny 100km zone between two massive big 110km zones, NZTA are going to generate so much revenue they'll probably manage to pay off TG, M2PP, PP2O and 02NL in a few months.

That stretch will also be the only part of SH1 north of Tawa with no alternative route once Ō2NL is done.
If, for example, a loaded LPG tanker gets involved in an accident there, then bingo!, the rest of the North Island is cut off from the delights of Wellington (or possibly vice versa 😉)

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#3460985 12-Feb-2026 13:16

PolicyGuy:

Well, except for the long stretches marked as 50km/h & 30km/h whilst they - very s-l-o-w-l-y - rip & replace the failing seal the original contractors put in
Sigh

There's been a 70 km/h stretch of the TEL for what feels like a geological age. Still it's progress: there used to be two of them.

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#3460989 12-Feb-2026 13:27

PolicyGuy:

Lias:

With them leaving the Raumati straights as a tiny 100km zone between two massive big 110km zones, NZTA are going to generate so much revenue they'll probably manage to pay off TG, M2PP, PP2O and 02NL in a few months.

That stretch will also be the only part of SH1 north of Tawa with no alternative route once Ō2NL is done.
If, for example, a loaded LPG tanker gets involved in an accident there, then bingo!, the rest of the North Island is cut off from the delights of Wellington (or possibly vice versa 😉)

This is a paradigm that those of us down here in Wellington are fairly familiar with - as it is where we were left before TG went live. Except of course for SH2 across the Remutakas, not an insignificant detour but as a Hutt Valley dweller years ago I did at least once choose to head north on SH2 to bypass congestion on SH1 (pre-TG though).

Looking at Google Maps, SH1 and SH59 run adjacent to eachother where SH59 terminates south of Paraparaumu which is 'almost' a SPOF - as is the spot where "old SH1" runs next to the new SH1 from Pekapeka to Otaki. So I guess we just hope that something happening in those locales doesn't extend beyond the road boundaries :S

No signature to see here, move along...

wellygary

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#3460991 12-Feb-2026 13:33

PolicyGuy:

Lias:

With them leaving the Raumati straights as a tiny 100km zone between two massive big 110km zones, NZTA are going to generate so much revenue they'll probably manage to pay off TG, M2PP, PP2O and 02NL in a few months.

That stretch will also be the only part of SH1 north of Tawa with no alternative route once Ō2NL is done.
If, for example, a loaded LPG tanker gets involved in an accident there, then bingo!, the rest of the North Island is cut off from the delights of Wellington (or possibly vice versa 😉)

Not Strictly true, but the alternate is a doozy,

Waterfall road (which used to cross the railway tracks and join SH1 before the Raumati straights were upgraded) now runs into Emerald Glen road, which connects to the Mackays Crossing Roundabout, (and hence SH59)

Its only problem is that its narrow and unsealed.... ( its ends up in Valley road, which comes out at the back of Paraparaumu )

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#3460997 12-Feb-2026 13:54

wellygary:

Transmission Gully is not generally windy thou.

It's not windy but it certainly gets windy 😁

Sometimes I use big words I don't always fully understand in an effort to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

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#3461002 12-Feb-2026 14:17

freitasm:

Transmission Gully accelerating to 110km/h | Beehive.govt.nz

“The new higher speed limit applies to the 27‑kilometre section of State Highway 1 between the Linden and Paekākāriki interchanges, which is currently posted at 100 km/h. Heavy vehicles and vehicles towing trailers will continue to have a 90 km/h limit.

Really? People don't see to know that one (or give a hoot about it).

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#3461007 12-Feb-2026 14:40

floydbloke: It's not windy but it certainly gets windy 😁

Not windy enough some days. When the cloud closes in you'd think that would be a good time to switch lights on.

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#3461010 12-Feb-2026 14:51

I'm not sure when we're going to get to enjoy the 110km/h speed limit given all the roadworks going on, drove on it last week and at least half of it was 50km/h

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#3461021 12-Feb-2026 15:38

DjShadow:

I'm not sure when we're going to get to enjoy the 110km/h speed limit given all the roadworks going on, drove on it last week and at least half of it was 50km/h

Yes it is a shambles that the old surface appears to be getting ripped up and relaid. They didn’t seem to learn from the Kapiti express way. Crazy that they also used such a cheap chip surface on it but didn’t seem to be any accountability

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#3461025 12-Feb-2026 16:08

mattwnz:

Yes it is a shambles that the old surface appears to be getting ripped up and relaid. They didn’t seem to learn from the Kapiti express way. Crazy that they also used such a cheap chip surface on it but didn’t seem to be any accountability

They don’t seem to have learned anything from any other expressway/motorway/roadway, either. Roading in NZ is appalling. Someone needs to figure out a better way to build roads.

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