New Zealand State Highway network

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The New Zealand State Highway network consists of just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands, administered by Transit New Zealand. The speed limit is generally 100 km/h, with reductions in built-up areas and for safety reasons.

The highways were originally designated using a two-tier system, national (SH 1-8) and provincial, with national highways having a higher standard and funding priorities. Now all are state highways, and the network consists of SH 1 running the length of both main islands, SH 2-5 and 10-58 in the North Island, and SH 6-8 and 60-99 in the South Island, numbered approximately north to south. Former provincial highways are almost grouped by province in the South Island, with SH 7x in Canterbury, SH 8x Otago and SH 9x Southland.

State highways are marked by red shield-shaped signs with white numbering (shields for the former provincial highways were blue). Road maps usually number state highways in this fashion.

From 2004 information, the busiest stretch of SH 1 was just south of the Auckland Central Motorway Junction, with over 190,000 vehicles (either way) each day. The least busy parts of the network (excluding off-ramps and on-ramps) are on SH 43 north-east of Whangamomona, with fewer than 150 vehicles (counting both directions) in a day. Some of the lesser trafficked highways still include unsealed sections.

1 History of State Highways
2 Distance markers
3 State Highway 1
4 List of current New Zealand State Highways
5 List of former New Zealand State Highways
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] History of State Highways

In the early days all roads were managed by local roads boards. The idea of a national network of highways did not emerge until the early twentieth century, when a series of pieces of legislation was passed to allow for the designation of main highways (in 1922) and state highways (in 1936). This saw the National Roads Board, an arm of the Ministry of Works, responsible for the state highway network.

Since 1989, state highways have been the responsibility of Transit New Zealand, a Crown entity. In 1996 the funding of the network was removed from the operational functions with the creation of Transfund New Zealand, which has since merged with the Land Transport Safety Authority to create Land Transport New Zealand. This is intended to ensure that funding of state highways is considered on a similar basis to funding for local roads and regional council subsidised public transport.

State Highway 1 crosses the Waikouaiti River in Otago, 667.0 kilometres from Picton

Every five years Transit New Zealand embarks on a state highway review, which considered whether the existing network should be expanded or reduced, according to traffic flows, changes in industry, tourism and development. Highways around Tauranga and in the Napier/Hastings region have undergone major changes in recent years.

[edit] Distance markers

State highways are marked with posts at irregular intervals giving the distance in kilometres from the start of the highway. Until recently, all bridges on the network had at each end a small plaque showing the distance from the start of the highway, usually in the form of a number in kilometres, an oblique stroke, and a further number in kilometres, accurate to the nearest 10 metres. A plaque marked 237/14.12, for example, indicated that the bridge was 14.12 km past a set distance post, that post being 237 km from the start of the highway. In about 2004 these plaques were replaced by a new system, which gives each bridge a single number showing the distance from the start of the highway in hundreds of metres. Under the new system the bridge above would be numbered 2511, as it is 251.1 km from the start of the highway. Motorway on- and off-ramps are numbered using the same system.

In this way, travellers can accurately assess their location, and road authorities can identify each bridge uniquely.

Usually, houses with RAPID numbering can also be used to determine the position. For example, house number is 31530 is 315.3 km from the start of the highway. However, this only works if the road is addressed as a State Highway (e.g., 97863 State Highway 2, RD 1, Wellington).

State Highway 1

[edit] State Highway 1

Main article: State Highway 1 (New Zealand)

State Highway 1 can be considered as a single highway running the length of both main islands, broken in the middle by the ferry connection at Cook Strait. It connects the five largest urban areas and includes the country's busiest stretch of road.

[edit] List of current New Zealand State Highways

[edit] National

State Highway Number	From	To	Via	Length (km)	Notes
1N	Cape Reinga	Wellington International Airport	Kaitaia, Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Taupo, Wellington	1106 km	Named State Highway 1 on maps and signs. State Highway 1N is used in official documentation.
1S	Picton Ferry Terminal	Bluff	Blenheim, Kaikoura, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin, Gore, Invercargill	941 km	Named State Highway 1 on maps and signs. State Highway 1S is used in official documentation.
1A	Orewa	SH 1 at Silverdale		5.5 km	SH 1 Northern Motorway extension This is a temporary designation - it is likely to be removed and the road revert to normal road once motorway extension is completed, forecast for 2009
1B	SH 1 at Taupiri	SH 1 at Cambridge	Gordonton	45 km	Eastern bypass of Hamilton This is temporary, and will be removed upon completion of the Waikato Expressway section of SH 1.
2	SH 1 at Pokeno Junction (45km south of Auckland)	SH 1 at Ngauranga Interchange (5km north of Wellington)	Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Woodville, Masterton, Hutt Valley	968 km	A small 7 km section in not assigned between central Hastings and SH 50A at Pakipaki.
2A	SH 2 at Tauranga	Tauranga Harbour Bridge		5km
2B	SH 2 at Napier Airport	SH 50 at Taradale			Northern part of Hawke's Bay Expressway
3	SH 1 at Hamilton	SH 2 at Woodville	New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North	500 km
3A	SH 3 near Waitara	SH 3 at Inglewood		16 km	New Plymouth Bypass
4	SH 3 at Eight Mile Junction (11 km south of Te Kuiti)	SH 3 at Wanganui	Taumarunui, Raetihi	236 km
5	SH 1 at Tirau	SH 2 at Napier	Rotorua and Taupo	247 km
6	SH 1 at Blenheim	SH 1 at Invercargill	Nelson, Westport, Greymouth, Hokitika, Wanaka, Queenstown	1162 km	New Zealand's longest state highway
6A	SH 6 at Frankton	Queenstown		7 km
7	SH 1 at Waipara (60 km north of Christchurch)	SH 6 at Greymouth	Lewis Pass	272 km
7A	SH 7 at Waiau Bridge	Hanmer Springs		9 km
8	SH 1 at Timaru	SH 1 at Milton	Twizel, Cromwell, Alexandra	457 km
8A	SH 6 at Luggate	SH 8 at Tarras		21 km	Northern route crossing Lake Dunstan
8B	SH 8 at Deadmans Point	SH6 at Cromwell		3 km	Southern route crossing Lake Dunstan

There is no SH 9

[edit] North Island

SH 10 SH 1 at Pakaraka (14 km north of Kawakawa) to Awanui , 104 km
SH 11 SH 1 at Kawakawa to SH10 at Puketona Junction, extended in 2005, 30 km
SH 12 SH 1 at Ohaeawai (79 km south of Kaitaia) to SH 1 at Brynderwyn (28 km north of Wellsford), via Kaikohe and Dargaville, 218 km
SH 14 SH 1 at Whangarei to Dargaville, 55 km
SH 15A SH1 at Ruakaka to Marsden Point, 9 km
SH 16 Port of Auckland to SH 1 at Wellsford via Helensville (including the Northwestern Motorway in Auckland), 108 km
SH 17 SH 1 at Silverdale to SH 1 at Albany (old SH 1 route superseded by motorway), 18 km
SH 18 SH 1 at Upper Harbour Highway interchange to SH 16 at Massey (Upper Harbour Drive and Hobsonville Road - redesignated from Riverhead Road further north), 14 km (Motorway section from Albany Highway to Massey, running parallel to the existing state highway, under construction)
SH 20 Hillsborough to SH 1 Manukau interchange (Southwestern Motorway), 18 km. Will eventually bypass Manukau city centre and link to Northwestern Motorway (projected completion 2012)
SH 20A SH 20 south of Walmsley Road interchange to Auckland International Airport, 5 km
SH 20B SH 20 at Puhinui Road interchange to Auckland International Airport, 4 km
SH 21 SH 1 5 km south of Hamilton to SH 3 5 km south of Hamilton, via Hamilton Airport and Mystery Creek, 7 km
SH 22 SH 1 at Drury to Pukekohe, 13 km (the continuation south to SH 23 near Raglan has had its State Highway designation removed)
SH 23 SH 1 at Hamilton to Raglan, 43 km
SH 24 Matamata to SH 29 near Te Poi, 13 km
SH 25 SH 2 3 km north of Mangatarata to Waihi, via Thames, Coromandel, Whitianga and Whangamata, 234 km
SH 25A SH 25 at Kopu (6 km south of Thames) to SH 25 at Hikuai (shortcut across Coromandel Peninsula), 29 km
SH 26 Hamilton to SH 25 at Kopu, (6 km south of Thames) via Morrinsville, Te Aroha and Paeroa, 96 km
SH 27 SH 2 at Mangatarata to SH 1 at Tirau via Matamata, 92 km
SH 28 SH 1 at Putaruru to SH 29 near Te Poi, 21 km
SH 29 SH 1 12 km north of Tirau to Mount Maunganui via Tauranga, 65 km
SH 30 SH 3 at Te Kuiti to Whakatane via Mangakino and Rotorua, 219 km
SH 30A SH 5 to SH 30 in urban Rotorua, 4 km
SH 31 SH 3 at Otorohanga to Kawhia, 56 km, 14km of which is a joint designation with SH 39.
SH 32 SH 1 at Tokoroa to SH 41 at Kuratau Junction (western side of Lake Taupo), 96 km
SH 33 SH 2 at Paengaroa (9 km south-east of Te Puke) to SH 30 at Te Ngae, 36 km
SH 34 SH 2 near Edgecumbe to SH 30 via Kawerau, 25 km
SH 35 SH 2 at Opotiki to Gisborne, via East Cape, 334 km
SH 36 SH 2 at Tauranga to SH 5 at Rotorua, via Tauranga Direct Road (new designation, December 2004), 48 km
SH 37 SH 3 at Hangatiki to Waitomo Caves, 7 km
SH 38 SH 5 near Waiotapu to SH 2 at Wairoa via Te Urewera National Park and Lake Waikaremoana, 121 km (middle section unsealed, and not designated a State Highway)
SH 39 SH 1 at Ngaruawahia to SH 3 at Otorohanga. The western bypass of Hamilton, 57 km. The last 14km from junction of the Kawhia road to Otorohanga is a joint designation with SH 31.
SH 41 SH 4 at Manunui to SH 1 at Turangi, 59 km
SH 43 SH 3 at Stratford to SH 4 at Taumarunui(The Forgotten World Highway), 149 km, approx 40 km unsealed
SH 44 SH 3 at New Plymouth to Port Taranaki (new designation, 2004), 5 km
SH 45 SH 3 at New Plymouth to SH 3 at Hawera via Opunake (The Surf Highway), 105 km
SH 46 SH 1 at Rangipo to SH 47 near Papakai, 19 km
SH 47 SH 4 at National Park to SH 41 3 km north of Turangi, 46 km
SH 48 SH 47 9 km from National Park to Whakapapa skifield, 7 km
SH 49 SH 4 at Tohunga Junction to SH 1 at Waiouru via Ohakune, 36 km
SH 50 SH 2 at Napier to SH 2 near Takapau (inland route), 94 km
SH 50A SH 50 10 km from Napier to Pakipaki, 7 km from Hastings via Flaxmere (Hawke's Bay Expressway), 17 km
SH 53 SH 2 at Featherston to Martinborough, 18 km (This breaks markedly with the general north-south pattern of the numbering, being some 200 km south of SH 54 and having the southernmost endpoints of North Island State Highways other than SH 1 and 2)
SH 54 SH 3 near Palmerston North to SH 1 at Vinegar Hill via Feilding, 57 km
SH 56 SH 57 at Makerua to Palmerston North, 23 km
SH 57 SH 1 2 km south of Levin to SH 3 at Ashhurst (the western end of the Manawatu Gorge), via Shannon, 64 km
SH 58 SH 1 at Paremata (near Porirua) to SH 2 at Haywards, 15 km

[edit] South Island

A typical New Zealand State Highway junction sign: State Highways 1 and 85 meet in Palmerston, Otago

SH 60 Collingwood to SH 6 near Richmond via Motueka and Takaka, 116 km
SH 62 SH1 at Spring Creek to SH6 2km North of Renwick, 13km
SH 63 Renwick to SH 6 at Kawatiri Junction via Wairau Valley, 117 km
SH 65 SH 7 at Springs Junction to SH 6 11 km west of Murchison, 71 km
SH 67 Westport to 4 km past Summerlea, 52 km. Continues for a further 44 km to Karamea without State Highway designation.
SH 67A SH 67 at Westport to Cape Foulwind, 9 km
SH 69 Inangahua Junction to Reefton, 33 km
SH 71 SH 1 at Kaiapoi Interchange to Rangiora via Lineside Rd, 6 km
SH 73 SH 74 at the Tunnel Rd/Port Hills Rd interchange, Christchurch to SH 6 at Kumara Junction via Arthur's Pass and Porters Pass, 231 km
SH 73A Carmen/Main South Rds, Christchurch to Blenheim/Curtletts Rds (Originally part of SH1, then SH 73 until January 2004), 6 km
SH 74 SH 1 at Belfast to Lyttelton via Lyttelton Road Tunnel. As of January 2004 the route now follows the eastern part of the Christchurch Ring Road, 22 km
SH 74A SH73 at Brougham/Gardiners, Christchurch to SH 74 at Palinurus/Dyers via Gardiners and Palinurus Rds. Part of the Christchurch Ring Road, 2 km
SH 75 SH 73 near Hillmorton, Christchurch to Akaroa, 77 km
SH 77 SH 1 at Ashburton to SH 73 at Darfield via Glentunnel and Methven, 94 km
SH 78 SH 1 at Timaru (Port Loop Road), 0.8 km (This is the shortest NZ state highway and is completely within Timaru)
SH 79 SH 1 at Rangitata to SH 8 at Fairlie via Geraldine, 61 km
SH 80 SH 8 at Pukaki Dam to Mount Cook Village, 55 km
SH 82 SH 1 near Hook to Kurow via Waimate (north bank of Waitaki River), 71 km
SH 83 SH1 at Pukeuri Junction to SH 6 at Omarama via Kurow, 109 km
SH 84 SH 6 to Wanaka, 3 km
SH 85 SH 1 at Palmerston toAlexandra via Ranfurly (The Pigroot), 164 km
SH 86 SH1 south of Dunedin to Dunedin Airport, 5 km
SH 87 SH 1 at the Mosgiel Interchange to SH 85 at Kyeburn via Middlemarch and Taieri valley, 114 km
SH 88 SH 1 at Dunedin to Port Chalmers, 13 km
SH 90 Raes Junction to SH 1 3 km east of Gore via Tapanui, 59 km
SH 93 SH 1 at Clinton to SH 1 at Mataura (Gore southern bypass), 43 km
SH 94 SH 1 at Gore to Milford Sound via Lumsden and Te Anau, 254 km
SH 95 SH 94 at Te Anau to Manapouri, 20 km
SH 96 SH 1 at Mataura to Ohai via Winton, 90 km
SH 97 SH6 at Five Rivers to SH 94 at Mossburn, 21 km
SH 98 SH 6 at Lorneville to SH 1 near Dacre, 22 km
SH 99 SH 6 at Lorneville to SH 6 and road to Te Anau near Clifden, via Riverton and Tuatapere, 93 km

[edit] List of former New Zealand State Highways

The following state highways have been officially revoked by Transit New Zealand. After revocation, the roads revert to their original names (e.g. Crown Range Road) or are referred to as a route (e.g. Route 52).

SH 15 SH 1 at Whangarei to port of Whangarei, 4 km
SH 40 SH 3 at Ahititi to SH 4 at Maungatupoto via Ohura, 90 km
SH 47A SH 1 at Rangipo to SH 47 near Papakai, 19 km. This route is now known as State Highway 46.
SH 49A SH 49 at Ohakune to SH 4 at Raehiti, 9 km
SH 52 SH 2 at Waipukurau to SH 2 at Masterton via Pongaroa, 215 km
SH 57A part of SH 57 from SH 3 at the west end of the Manawatu Gorge to Palmerston North, 18 km
SH 61 Motueka to SH 6 at Kohatu Junction, 58 km
SH 70 SH 1 4 km south of Kaikoura to SH 7 at Red Post Junction (2 km north of Culverden) via Waiau, 97 km
SH 72 SH 1 near Rangiora to SH 1 at Temuka via the Waimakariri and Rakaia Gorges (SH 77 now covers part of this route). This route is now known as the Inland Scenic Route.
SH 89 SH 6 near Arrowtown to Wanaka via Cardona, 53 km. This route is known as the Crown Range Road.
SH 91 SH 1 at Balclutha to Kaitangata, later part of SH 92, 13 km
SH 92 SH 1 at Balclutha to SH 1 at Invercargill via Owaka, 176 km. This route is known as The Catlins Route (part of the Southern Coastal Scenic Route).