Dairy Flat Highway safety improvements Dairy Flat Highway safety improvements
A number of safety improvements will be rolled out in Dairy Flat Highway as part of Auckland Transport’s road safety network review.
Project status: Construction
Project zone: North
Project overview
Dairy Flat Highway is a dangerous stretch of road – the former NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) State Highway is ranked within the top one percent of roads recommended for investment due to the high-risk intersections and roadside hazards. The former state highway has had a number of fatalities and serious crashes – between 2008 and 2017 there have been nine deaths and 55 serious injuries.
The North Shore’s population is expected to grow by 17 per cent over the next 10 years, with 6,000 more homes to be built around Silverdale and Dairy Flat. With vehicle numbers set to increase over the next decade, better and safer roads are required.
After engaging with the community last year, we found there were many concerns regarding road safety and we have been working hard to make improvements, so the area is safer for all road users – we thank you all for your feedback.
AT will continue to roll out safety improvements in Dairy Flat which have been made possible due to partial funding from the Regional Fuel Tax.
Benefits
- Safer journeys for people driving around Dairy Flat Highway.
- Potential for new safety measures such as flexible road safety barriers, wider centrelines, slow vehicle lanes, rumble strips and intersection upgrades.
- Safe speeds, including lower speed limits.
- Reducing the speed limit and traffic calming will create a more appropriate village feel, especially around the Kahikatea Road intersection.
Timeline
- June-July 2018 – stakeholder engagement on Dairy Flat Highway safety improvements.
- December 2018 – public information on the Dairy Flat Highway safety improvements.
- 2019/20 – construction starts on safety improvements.
- 29 July 2019 – construction of the Dairy Flat Highway/Coatesville Riverhead Highway roundabout started.
- September 2020 – approximate completion date for the Dairy Flat Highway/Coatesville Riverhead Highway roundabout.
Project details
Dairy Flat Highway/ Coatesville-Riverhead Highway roundabout
New roundabout to replace current intersection to improve traffic flow and general safety around Dairy Flat Highway, and towards Coatesville.
Caption: Artists impression of the Dairy Flat/Coatesville Highway roundabout.
Download the Dairy Flat Highway/Coatesville-Riverhead roundabout drawings (PDF 17.2MB)
Safer speeds
Speeds along Dairy Flat Highway have been reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h, and from 100km/h to 60km/h at the Dairy Flat Village. These reductions came into effect in February 2019.
Dairy Flat Highway safety improvements
Wilks Road and Pine Valley Road intersection upgrades
Improvements at the intersections of Wilks Road and Pine Valley Roads with new signage.
Download the Pine Valley Road drawings (PDF 5MB)
Download the Wilks Road drawings (PDF 5MB)
Dairy Flat Village and Kahikatea Flat Road
New 60km/h signage to create an enhanced village feel. Also, improved intersection upgrade at Kahikatea Flat Road, and upgraded footpath.
Download the Dairy Flat Village and Kahikatea Flat Road drawings (PDF 5.2MB)
Stevensons Crescent to Albany Heights Road
Changing the northbound passing lane to a slow vehicle bay to encourage slower speeds, new centre median safety barriers and right turn bay into Hobson Road.
Download the Stevensons Crescent to Albany Heights Road drawings (PDF 23MB, 13 pages)
Public consultation
As part of Auckland Transports road safety review along Dairy Flat Highway, Auckland Transport asked the community for feedback to identify any safety concerns and potential safety improvements. We consulted on this proposal from Friday 8 June to Sunday 1 July 2018, and received 391 submissions.
Key themes in feedback
From your feedback we identified the following key themes:
- Speed reduction needed (219 submitters, 56%).
- Roundabout or traffic lights needed (115 submitters, 29%).
- Concerns about safety when turning in or out of the highway (105 submitters, 27%).
- Concerns about poor visibility (71 submitters, 18%).
- Improvement needed as soon as possible as too many accidents (62 submitters, 16%).
- Would like better quality road safety, such as lighting, rumble strips, barriers (45 submitters, 12%).
- Road surface issues (38 submitters, 10%).
Download the Public feedback report Dairy Flat Highway safety improvements (PDF 872KB, 41 pages)