New Otaki Expressway - First drive South to North - Open for Christmas Traffic

[@tkara1980]

"This new highway massively increases capacity into and out of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. " I've said it numerous times before, now it's absolutely imperative that the Otaki to North of Levin section be built now. And the gap between that section (connecting to "Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.") and the Cambridge to Piarere section in Waikato (connecting to Hamilton, and further north to Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand) be rapidly closed with a full motorway conversion.

[@stuboyd1194]

Google maps says from where the Waikato expressway ends just below Cambridge, to where the Otaki to north of Levin expressway will re-join the existing SH1 is 403 km. I think it will be a very long time before it's 4 lanes all the way between these two expressways. In the mean time, it'd be great to see some viaducts on the Desert Road to eliminate the three sisters bit and that very windy piece of road around the shore of Lake Taupo. There are lots of other places where the existing road could be upgraded or realigned to make it straighter/safer/wider also.

[@DarrylTalks]

Yeah, a lot of incremental improvement, or a crazy project build a new highway, Bulls to Turakina, Whangaehu river valley to SH4 to Raetihi. And make the main SH1 go via National park. Make SH4 way better.

[@jameshl1137]

I dont think a full manawatu through hamilton expressway will ever be feasible (there is just nothing of a population in that space, without veering wildly off to the east), but I would be shocked if they didnt connect levin through to palmy within the next 20 years! And some upgrades on the tourist highway from hamilton to waitomo would be nice.

[@tkara1980]

@@jameshl1137 The issue of population is a "limitation" in getting this done, but I wouldn't stop there. So perhaps encouraging people, industry, etc. to relocate there is the way to go about it. I'm looking at this more strategically and in terms of economic growth and nation building. SH1 between Auckland and Wellington, and everywhere else is used as a major transport and trade corridor. That should never be discounted. As I said before it can be done and it must be done now.

[@musicman53]

We’ve just driven it towing our caravan, in torrential rain what’s more, and the bypass and road surface is fabulous. We had no holdups at all, and it was a blast to totally to bypass the Otaki roundabout and Main Street choke point. I drive at 90 kph with the caravan, never faster, and the big rigs on SH1 are always faster than me except climbing hills. Love your videos!

[@DarrylTalks]

Yeah, thanks. There has been some real mixed weather lately. So its nice to have some safe reliable roads in the storms.

[@crblindis]

Great video again, Darryl. I think a direct road from Levin to Palmerston North needs to also happen along with the Levin extension

[@DarrylTalks]

That would be cool! The upgrades of the road that runs through Shannon, over the years, have been making that drive gradually better.

[@DragonPhlegm]

Should do a video in Ōtaki to see how much different it is without a constant queue of traffic at the roundabout

[@DarrylTalks]

Yeah, I drove through Otaki today and the traffic on the main street seemed pretty good, about 11am.

[@robertrangiuia2613]

First time I’ve seen this. Thankyou

[@srapshooter]

It's the new North bound Pukarua Bay Home/Holiday traffic merge :D Ohwell, it's the southbound Otaki traffic that was the problem so, at least it fixes that.

[@madokariki2726]

Thanks for your posting. The road looks very wide.

[@patrickgriffin536]

Nice filming and commentary Darryl! Wont be long before the eco zeolots on their push bikes will be trying to claim the left hand lane as their own!!🤠

[@ellismatthews5906]

thanks for that.......,you are right they should just get on with the Otaki to Levin section

[@SeniorTuki]

Great Video thank you. The expressway is designed to accommidate cyclists. The shoulder is wide. Over the Otaki river bridge plates have been installed over the expansion join so bikes don't get caught on it. There are multiple locations which are painted green and signs installed which are to help keep them safe. can been seen at 6:30

[@stuboyd1194]

I can't really see much pressure to extend the expressway further than north of Levin for the foreseeable future. Once you get passed Levin, there are numerous state highways and local roads you can use, should the main highway be closed due to any accidents. It's pretty much impossible to be blocked from travelling north of Levin. On the other hand, State highway one north of Mokena Mokere Street in Manakau to Bishops Road in Ohau has NO alternative road if SH1 is blocked. This stretch of highway is 6.2 km long.

[@DarrylTalks]

Yeah, I think there needs to be a second route, So the highway to the north of Levin needs to be built for resilience reasons.

[@tkara1980]

Whether there is pressure or not this has to be done now. There's no question about it. A strategic network of motorways and major highways (without private or direct access) in this country should have been put in place long ago or at least laid the groundwork for it. It's good the country is doing something now but it's having to play catchup with other countries whose equivalent systems may have been put in ages ago. On converting the SH1 "gap" to a full motorway that could take 15 to 20 years or less depending on many factors in it. Certain segments of it may have to be tolled. It can be done. People will bring up "limitations" going against that. You get around it or plow through it.

[@stuboyd1194]

@@tkara1980 I'm not against extending the expressway further north. If and when it's done, it'll be in stages. I guess the next logical place to extend it to is just north of Foxton, and then after that perhaps to Himatangi or even all the way to Sanson? That could be a long way off however. In the mean time, more passing lanes on the existing SH1 would be a welcome improvement and can be done at a vastly lower cost than a new 4 lane road. Maybe they could aim for passing lanes at least every 20 km? I've always thought that the last uphill before you descend into Mangaweka should be made into a proper passing lane. My two cents worth anyway.

[@tkara1980]

@@stuboyd1194 Actually I believe SH1 from a point "North of Levin" should instead follow a new alignment along current SH57 until south of and to the west of Palmerston North and to the east of Feilding and then along current SH54 until meeting with current SH1 at Vinegar Hill. At least at this time the next project "Otaki to North of Levin" should happen now. Perhaps legislation to speed it up should be enacted.

[@stuboyd1194]

@@tkara1980 NZTA says Otaki to North of Levin is supposed to start in 2025. They haven't pinned down when in 2025 that's going to be. It would be great if it started ASAP, as that current road is terrible in places.

[@Sweatybusdrivers]

Is it a motorway or are there still safe spaces for bikes and hitchhikers?

[@DarrylTalks]

There is a cycleway at the side of the highway on the other side of the plantings, I want to ride my bike up there one day and make a video. There is a separated bike lane on the big bridge. I kind of think the people riding their bikes on the highway are a little bit odd. But I support their freedom to do it. It might be really fun, but it would not be fun for me. Here is a view of the cycle path, that is parallel to the highway kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5e4kIV5p89_hMk

[@DarrylTalks]

Another part of the cycleway. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5e4kIV5p89_hMk

[@SnowAndrews]

Now the Holiday weekend (Wellington Exodus) TRAFFIC SNARL-UP will be shifted from Otaki (by the BP), to somewhere around LEVIN !

[@DarrylTalks]

I think it will be a bit more free running, because traffic won't build up at the roundabout or pedestrian crossing.

[@SnowAndrews]

@@DarrylTalks Also in the Horowhenua~Foxton~ Manawatu~Rangatiki area The Wellington "Holiday Weekend" madness-traffic starts splitting up into West: SH 3/4 traffic, Taupo & North : via SH 1 East: SH57 to SH3-East then SH 2 & SCENIC Meander detour: SH54 until Mangaweka (Through Northern Manawatu) So the total volumes on any specific route TEND to be less.

[@nagrom97]

I think the Cyclists are using the Expressway as the shared path (Cycleway / Walkway) for this project has not been opened yet. It is blocked off in places with fences, so is unusable right now. They needed the new motorway to be fully open for them to be able to finish off the last bits of the shared path in the new year.

[@DarrylTalks]

I just guess that the cyclist that are on the road are riding on it "just for fun", because the old road that was only road on Thursday was still there. The person in the pink jacket was clearly a race cyclist, they covered a huge range in a short time.

[@jasonhockly8655]

Much of the crew have moved to work on the Manawatu gorge replacement. O2NL scheduled to start 2025 ... Finish 2029 ... But probably will be 2031 at the earliest.

[@DarrylTalks]

Oh yeah, that's good that the people who have skills are remaining doing the thing they know how to do. I guess if the Levin road is started up in the next two or three years, they can move from the gorge road to the Levin road.

[@jasonhockly8655]

@@DarrylTalks much of the bulk earth works is in full stream on the gorge replacement, they should be finished by 2025 and then yeah ... Move to O2NL.

[@stuboyd1194]

The Manawatu gorge replacement route is supposed to be finished by the end of 2024. Fingers crossed! I guess the start of O2NL is at least partially dependant on finishing this project. There are aren't enough people, machines or cash to do all these projects simultaneously.

[@adrian2984]

@@jasonhockly8655 the engineers are almost finished the earthworks on the Manawatu tararua highway they should be done by March April. The civil construction and civil drain engineers could be starting that in late summer.

[@MarkDonnelly-j9v]

Hi i like your video

[@stuboyd1194]

They were in such a hurry to get it open they didn't remove the "Expressway ends 400 m" sign at 0:37 🚗

[@DarrylTalks]

That's hysterical. They could have moved it up 15km, to save money.

[@judgev8]

wow Darryl your doing 90ks and getting passed by a car and a ute with trailers,, pretty sure it's an expressway and no riding bike is allowed or horses, walking, hitchhiking, also the passing lane was deleted on Wednesday night and the stupid new speed limit put in

[@DarrylTalks]

Well, I guess that the vehicles with trailers should not have been passing me. I had a big rig ahead of me, that I was using for pacing, they would have been driving on exactly 90kmph.

[@davidthorne7712]

The lower speed limit (80 kph) north of the expressway ties into the changes that occurred over the past couple of years in the area. It will mean that for the 15km from Otaki to Levin (through Manaku, Kuku, Ohau) the posted limit is constant, therefore should improve traffic flow if people comply. Prior to the opening of this expressway, the old SH1 had the following signage over a distance of 18km (PekaPeka to Manakau) 100-70-50-70-50-100-80-50-100-50-70-50-100-80, the inevitable consequence being frustration and bottlenecks due to the inconsistencies.

[@judgev8]

@@davidthorne7712 Hi David yes true only if people "comply" and not do 15-20ks under the 80ks like some do, but would have been nice to flow though from 100ks to 100ks, I drive the stretch of road everyday the frustration of the up and down speed limit was a joke plus the idiots that tailgated big trucks included glad its open now bring on the Levin expressway

[@malc334]

Cycling is allowed on expressways and prohibited on motorways

[@thegreenlandshark6086]

It's a shame I just missed it, I drove through on the way to Auckland on the 20th. Anyway I suspect If National get in at the next election as currently looks likely, they may speed up work on the Otaki to Levin expressway.

[@michaelhenry-hurst2787]

so how long till it falls apart? less than a year??

[@kenw5104]

2:19 5:56 Wouldn't it be too risky to allow cyclists on a motorway or expressway? Assuming roads aren't scenic structures and if they decided to travel further, rent a car, a bike or something that's appropriate for speed. To me, it's just too dangerous both for the cyclists and drivers.

[@tkara1980]

Yeah I've never did agree with cycling or walking along a motorway (prohibited acts) and motorway-like roads such as this new extension. Big mistakes for this, is along the SH2 Hutt Expressway (Petone to Ngauranga) and the Ngauranga Gorge of SH1. Needs. The gorge is infamous for its narrow, competitive space and uphill climb and downhill descent.

[@stuboyd1194]

Here's a video from 2012 showing the proposed PP2O expressway at the time. Interesting to see how a few parts of it were quite different than what was actually built. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5SZlamclLGbbZY

[@DarrylTalks]

I had a watch trough, there are quite a few differences.

[@ralphjames1211]

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