Hawke's Bay Expressway
Route information
Length24 km (15 mi)
Component
highways
Major junctions
North end SH 2 – near Napier Airport
Major intersections SH 50 north – Pirimai
SH 51
SH 50 south – near Pakowhai
South end SH 2 – Pakipaki, south of Hastings
Location
CountryNew Zealand
Major citiesNapier, Hastings
Highway system

The Hawke's Bay Expressway, known also as the Napier-Hastings Expressway, runs from Hawke's Bay Airport, through Napier and Hastings, and ends at Pakipaki, just south of Hastings, a total length of 24 km. It is part of State Highway 2 (SH 2).

History

When the airport at Westshore, Napier, was confirmed as Hawke's Bay's main airport in 1957, Hastings leaders objected, preferring to have an airport closer to their city. The Government set up an Airport Inquiry Committee in 1961 to settle the matter. They confirmed the Napier airport as the best option, and recommended the building of a Napier–Hastings motorway to provide quick access between the airport and Hastings.[1]

The first section of the expressway, from Kennedy Road at Pirimai to Pakowhai Road, opened in the late 1960s, with raised approaches for a bridge over Kennedy Road being partially formed at the same time. Further construction (south of Pakowhai Road) did not start until the late 1990s. After the approaches for the Kennedy Road overbridge had stood each side of the dual carriageway from Napier to Taradale for several decades, work began to strengthen them and build the bridge in 2002. The section of expressway to Hawke's Bay Airport opened in late 2003. In 2007 the Meeanee Road interchange was built to grade separate that intersection. A new extension south of Flaxmere opened in 2011.

In 2019, the New Zealand Transport Agency approved renumbering of the entire expressway to SH 2. The formerly designated section of SH 2 via Napier and Hastings took a new designation of SH 51, with effect from 1 August.[2]

Four-Laning/Dual-Carriageway

The expressway remains single carriageway along its length at present, although it has been designed to allow dual-carriageway upgrading. This became an electoral commitment by the National Party in the 2017 election as part of a series of national upgrades to roads, but the Party were not successful at forming a Government in the post-election coalition negotiations.[3] It was a further commitment by the National Party in the 2020 election. In the 2023 election it was an electoral commitment by both the National Party and the Labour Party. This is the first time there has been bipartisan support for this roading upgrade.[4]

Design

The Expressway is one lane in each direction, with, heading south, roundabouts at Prebensen Drive and Taradale Road and interchanges at Kennedy Road (north off, south on) and Meeanee Road (traffic lights for many years and a notorious black spot – replaced with a grade separated interchange in 2007), and roundabouts at Pakowhai Road/Links Road (previously traffic lights), Evenden Road, Omahu Road, Flaxmere Avenue/York Road, a 5-way roundabout with Maraekakaho Road/Longlands Road/Pakipaki Road and a roundabout at its terminus with SH 2 at Pakipaki. The expressway is entirely zoned at a 100 km/h limit.

Major intersections

Territorial authorityLocationKmJctDestinationsNotes
Napier CityWestshore0Watchman Road
SH 2 north (Main North Road)Napier Airport, Gisborne
Meeanee Quay (former SH 2 south) – City Centre
Hawke's Bay Expressway begins
Hawke's Bay Expressway/SH 2 concurrency begins
Onekawa2.4 SH 50 north (Prebensen Road)Hawke's Bay Expressway/SH 50 concurrency begins
4.1 SH 51 (Taradale Road)Clive, HastingsCoastal route
PirimaiKennedy RoadNorthbound exit and southbound entry
JervoistownMeeanee RoadFull diamond interchange
PakowhaiPakowhai Road
SH 50 south (Links Road)
Hawke's Bay Expressway/SH 50 concurrency ends
Staggered intersection converted to roundabout in 2018[5]
Hastings DistrictHastingsEvenden Road
Omahu Road
FlaxmereYork Road
Flaxmere Avenue
LonglandsLonglands Road
Maraekakaho Road
PakipakiRailway Road (former SH 2 north) – Hastings
Te Aute Road – Havelock North
SH 2 southWaipukurau, Wellington
Hawke's Bay Expressway ends
Hawke's Bay Expressway/SH 2 concurrency ends

See also

References

  1. Campbell, M. D. N. (1975). Story of Napier, 1874–1974. Napier City Council. pp. 204–206.
  2. "Hawke's Bay's state highways to be renumbered in August". NZ Transport Agency. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  3. "Next generation Roads of National Significance" (Press release). New New Zealand National Party. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  4. "HAWKE'S BAY EXPRESSWAY SET TO BECOME FOUR LANES AS PART OF GOVERNMENT'S NATION-BUILDING TRANSPORT PLAN". Retrieved 10 January 2024.
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