Raumati Straights Upgrade – January to October 2016
A smoother connection is on its way.
The Raumati Straights Upgrade involves nine months of roadworks on 2km of State Highway 1 between Paekakariki and Paraparaumu. This upgrade, which started in January 2016, is important because the current road provides a very uneven and bumpy ride and raises ongoing maintenance and safety issues.
The upgrade will fix and correct the shape and camber of the road, widen the road shoulders, add wire median barriers in the centre and northbound, and a new guard rail southbound to improve road safety and your experience as a road user.
Improving this section of State Highway 1 is critical because it needs to connect seamlessly between the new Mackays to Peka Peka (M2PP) Expressway and Transmission Gully that sit either side of it.
Take a closer lookcloser look at the Raumati Straights infographic.
For more information go to
- Nine months - Why so long?
- What's happening where, when and why?
- Frequently asked questions
- Essential information for drivers
Nine months - why so long?
Our number one priority is keeping you, your passengers and our workers safe.
We’re all working and commuting on a State Highway that has over 25,000 vehicles moving through per day. We’re squeezed in between a live railway and a conservation area (Queen Elizabeth Park) and we’ve got no alternative route. So for nine months we’ve got to work and travel together.
Did you know that Raumati Straights is built on top of peat? Thick, water-logged soil that used to be swamp or wetlands. The peat is deepest on the left-hand side of the northbound lane where you can feel dips and rolls in your ride. That’s caused by the spongy soil beneath the road and to fix this up we have to load it with rock and hard fill and then let it settle for at least two months.
So we’re not dealing with stable ground or working conditions on this job. To manage all these issues we’ve put a huge amount of expertise and time into planning and staging our work to get the best outcome possible.
What’s happening where, when and why?
We’ve worked closely with stakeholders and community groups, as well as AA and emergency services to develop our plan for Raumati Straights. We looked at all sorts of options, some of which involved more than one lane closure at a time and for much longer periods. We settled on the current plan because it was agreed that it would cause the least amount of disruption, while still achieving a good result for all road users.
Our plan has eight stages that allow us to work safely, efficiently and keep traffic moving as much as possible. Stage one was completed in late 2015.
January to February 2016 - Left hand northbound lane STAGE 2 COMPLETED | One northbound and two southbound lanes open. During this stage we’re reshaping the sloping pavement on the left of the northbound lane (the side closest to the coast). The peat beneath this section is very deep so we need to let the weight of our new fill and pavement settle and compact the soil below. While we work on the right hand northbound lane, Stage 3, you’ll drive on the settling pavement and you’ll notice it’s smooth to start with then gradually over time gets bumpier. Once things finish settling around April/May we’ll return to finish this section and then re-open a nice smooth ride to northbound traffic. |
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Late Feb to March - Northbound lane s STAGE 3 COMPLETED | One northbound and two southbound lanes open during morning peak. This stage involves moving our works to the right hand northbound lane. After morning peak at around 8.30am we’ll close the right lane southbound as well to provide room to work. When you drive on the re-opened lane, you’ll notice it’s smooth to start with then gradually over time gets bumpier. This is normal and all part of the settlement process that needs to happen before we return to finish works on this lane around April/May. |
Mid March to early May – Southbound and northbound lanes STAGE 4 COMPLETED | Two lanes open in peak direction ( two south in the morning and two north in the evening) During this stage, we move to the southbound lanes. Here, we don’t have any peat to contend with, so we’ll use a different way to rebuild these lanes. This stage involves regular changes including various lane closures, speed restrictions, and night works. It’s really important that you stick to the posted speed limits and pay close attention to the signs and electronic message boards that’ll describe what’s ahead. |
May - Back to the left hand northbound lane STAGE 5 COMPLETED
| Two lanes open in peak direction (two south in the morning and two north in the evening), using tidal flow traffic management Now that the left hand northbound lane has had time to settle we’ll move back in for up to four weeks to finish this section. To do this the left hand northbound lane will be closed 24/7 and we’ll use tidal flow traffic management to have two lanes open in the peak direction. This involves having three lanes available at any given time, with the middle lane changing to accommodate traffic in the peak direction. Using traffic cones, the right hand southbound lane will be turned into the right hand northbound lane for evening peak. During weekends, there will be a single lane northbound and two lanes southbound. |
June to late August - Southbound lanes - Southbound lanes STAGE 6
| Two lanes open in peak direction (two south in the morning and two north in the evening) Because of the nature of the works we’re doing on these lanes, most of the work can be done off peak and at night. So once again for around four-six weeks there’ll be regular changes including various lane closures, speed restrictions, and night works. It’s really important that you stick to the posted speed limits and pay close attention to the signs and electronic message boards that’ll describe what’s ahead. |
Late-August to October 2016 – Finishing works STAGE 7 | Two lanes southbound and northbound open We’re nearly there! At times, during off-peak and at night there might only be one lane operating in each direction. Please pay careful attention to the electronic message boards that will describe what’s ahead. During this stage we’re into finishing the job. Most of the pavement work should be finished and we’ll be putting in wire rope median barriers to separate northbound and southbound traffic as well as adding barriers at the road sides. All of this will improve the end result for road users. |
Late September/early October 2016 – Upgrade finished STAGE 8 | We’ve forecast our work plan as accurately as possible, but sometimes things can change due to unforeseen circumstances like the weather. We’ll keep this information up-to-date with any changes to the plan. View stage eight infographic |
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to cycle while these works are happening?
If you’re a cyclist who travels through the Raumati Straights, you’ll have noticed that space here is very tight so we have enough space carry out the work within this constrained area. This means the space for cyclists to travel safely through here has become tighter, so the Te Ara Whareroa pathway through Queen Elizabeth Park provides a safe alternative for cyclists while this essential highway upgrade takes place. You can access the path at Poplar Avenue.
Why is the speed limit still lowered when there’s no work going on?
Safety has to come first, for road users and workers. All lanes, north and south bound, have been narrowed to 3.25m to provide enough space for works and traffic management to happen safely. We only have one metre separating opposing traffic which is flowing over uneven surfaces past distracting work site activities.
Current safety standards for roads require that roads/lanes under 3.5m have lower speed limits. We’ve lowered the speed limit to 70km/h which is at the higher end of the permitted scale.
How will emergency services get through if traffic is bad?
We’ve worked closely with the emergency services (Police, Fire, and Ambulance) to come up with a staged work plan that (within our work site and ground condition constraints) causes the least possible disruption. Despite this there will be times when delays occur.
SIRENS APPROACHING - If you see or hear an emergency vehicle behind you, slow down, make sure you indicate and pull to the left. While you know what you're planning to do, it's important for the emergency services who are travelling at high speed to know you've seen them and are planning to move aside.
If you are in congested double-lane traffic, split so that they can navigate through the centre of the two lanes.
Why have there been times during these works where delays were worse than normal?
Summer 2016 saw the largest summer programme of maintenance roadworks that the NZ Transport Agency has ever carried out in the region. So there were a lot of works along the wider network (as well as the Raumati Straights Upgrade), that were impacting on peak time daily commutes. State Highway 1 is already a very busy stretch of highway - so when you add roadworks - be they safety improvements, large capital investment projects or summer maintenance works, these all have an impact on people's journey times. This really highlights the need for an improved network, the new Expressway and wider Wellington Northern Corridor plans.
We know being stuck in traffic is a pain at the best of times. We’re working as hard and as safely as we can to make sure we cause the least possible disruption. But at the same time we’ve got an important job to do and sometimes this will cause delays. We’re really sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding and patience while we get on with things Check out some useful tips and resources to help you plan your journey.
Why can’t you do it all at night or work more hours each day?
Where we can work later in the evenings to extend productivity, we are doing so. In some stages, because of the nature of works we’re doing on the southbound lanes, we’ll be able to work at night and we’ll take full advantage of those opportunities. At other times, like in stages three and five, the type of work or ground conditions we were dealing with made it unsafe or impossible for night work. Our staged work plan tells you what we’re doing when and why, including when night works will be happening. The majority of the main works will be complete by late July and then we’re into finishing works. Our crews try to clear the site during the evening peak to minimise further distraction and side friction (rubbernecking).
Why aren’t you using tidal flow and cones that allow two lanes in the peak direction?
Because of the nature of the works we were doing in stages two and three, we simply couldn’t manage traffic using tidal flow. This is partly because the site is squeezed in between a live rail line and Queen Elizabeth Park, tidal flow would impact on driver and worker safety. In stages where it’s possible, we’ve made this part of our traffic management plan.
Can you put up screens to stop people looking and slowing down?
We’re working in a very confined space as the site is squeezed in between a live rail line and Queen Elizabeth Park. Screens need to be fixed to concrete barriers, concrete barriers take up space, less space means less worksite area. The end result of adding screens would be more time and more delays.
Essential information for road users
Be aware that as speed reduces, the distance between vehicles reduces. Sudden braking creates a domino effect of stop-starting and queuing and causes delays. You can help by:
- following the speed signs
- focusing on the road
- minimising lane changing
- merging like a zip.
Plan your trip. We know it’s not easy for everyone to adjust their travel plans on short notice, but if it’s possible, plan your trip ahead of time. If you have to travel at peak times, allow more time to get to your destination safely and on time.
Park & Ride. Park for free at Waikanae and Paraparaumu and connect with regular bus and train services to the City and Wellington region.
Sign up to Express Lane news! For regular project updates and information sign up to Express Lane , our monthly e-newsletter and bulletin service, with regular email updates about the Raumati Straights.
Please don’t use Mackays Crossing to jump ahead of the traffic queue. This actually makes delays longer and frustrates other road users who are stuck in the traffic and waiting patiently.
Let us know how it’s going out there . Send your feedback to us at info@m2pp.co.nz– this is the fastest way to get a response to your questions or concerns.