New Zealand State Highway 3

State Highway 3
Route information
Maintained by New Zealand Transport Agency
Length: 500 km (300 mi)
Major junctions
North end: SH 1 at Hamilton
South end: SH 2 at Woodville
Location
Primary
destinations:		 Te Awamutu, Otorohanga, Te Kuiti, New Plymouth, Hawera, Whanganui, Palmerston North
Highway system
← SH 2SH 4 →

State Highway 3 (SH 3) is one of New Zealand's eight national state highways. It serves the west coast of the country's North Island and forms a link between State Highway 1 and State Highway 2. Distances are measured from north to south.

For most of its length SH 3 is a two-lane single carriageway, with at-grade intersections and property accesses, both in rural and urban areas.

Route

This is the route that SH 3 takes in 2007.

Tunnel at the north end of the Awakino Gorge. There is another short tunnel near the top of Mount Messenger

The highway leaves SH 1 at Hamilton, and initially heads south through farmland, passing through Te Awamutu. Sections of this stretch of the road are four-laned, but not divided carriageway. From Otorohanga it follows the valley of the Waipa River to Te Kuiti. The road then turns southwest through sparsely settled farmland, crossing several ridges before following the Awakino gorge to reach the coast, which it follows around the North Taranaki Bight. At the Tongaporutu River the highway turns inland to avoid coastal cliffs and climbs over Mount Messenger before descending via the Mimi River valley to return to the coast near Urenui. Bypassing Waitara, it reaches New Plymouth then turns inland, passing to the east of Mount Taranaki via Inglewood, Stratford and Eltham to Hawera.

From Hawera the highway follows the coast of the South Taranaki Bight southeastwards to Patea and Whanganui before meeting SH 1 again at Bulls. SH 1 and 3 share their route for 6 km as they cross the Rangitikei River to Sanson, where SH 3 continues southeast towards Palmerston North. After crossing the Manawatu River, the route follows its south bank through the Manawatu Gorge to its terminus and junction with SH 2 at Woodville in the Wairarapa.

Both the Awakino and Manawatu gorges are prone to closure by slips and rockslides in heavy rain.

Route changes

Construction of a bypass of Bell Block, a satellite town of New Plymouth, was completed in 2010. The bypass is a four-lane, divided expressway with an interchange at Henwood Road providing access to Bell Block.

It is thought (but not yet decided by NZTA) that upon completion of the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway, SH 3 will be extended along the current SH 1 route in the west of Hamilton and meet up with SH 1 at the Hamilton northern interchange.

State Highway 3 will also form part of the future/proposed Southern Links motorway project in the South/West of Hamilton and Tamahere.[1]

NZTA have recently commenced construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of SH 21 which will provide safer access to Hamilton Airport.[2]

On 27 January 2016, Prime Minister John Key announced funding for road bypasses of the two tunnels north of New Plymouth. Construction of the Mount Messenger and Awakino Gorge tunnel bypasses should begin within two years.[3]

State Highway 3 spurs

SH 3 has one spur, designated State Highway 3A. This 15.6 km stretch links State Highway 3 just west of Waitara to Inglewood, providing a shortcut and bypass of New Plymouth.

Major junctions

Territorial authority Location km Destinations Notes
Hamilton City Melville 0 SH 1/Thermal Explorer Highway north
(Kahikatea Drive)
Auckland 		SH 3 begins
(Ohaupo Road)
Hospital
1 SH 3
(Normandy Ave)
City Centre, Rotorua 		to SH 1/Thermal Explorer Highway south
Waipa District Hamilton Airport 10 SH 21
(Airport Road)
Airport, Mystery Creek 		Roundabout (under construction)
Otorohanga District Otorohanga 55 SH 31/SH 39
(Te Kanawa Street)
Kawhia, Ngaruawahia 		Alternative route to Auckland, bypassing Hamilton
Waitomo District Hangatiki 65 SH 37
(Waitomo Caves Road)
Waitomo Caves 		Roundabout
Te Kuiti 76 SH 30
(Awakino Road)
Rotorua, Taupo
Eight Mile Junction 88 SH 4
Taumarunui, National Park
New Plymouth District Brixton 229 SH 3A
(Mountain Road)
Inglewood, Whanganui 		Alternative route to Southern Taranaki, bypassing New Plymouth
New Plymouth 240 SH 44
(Eliot Street)
Port
SH 45
(Leach Street/Courtenay Street)
City Centre, Opunake
Inglewood 258 SH 3A
(Rata Street)
Hamilton 		Alternative route to Hamilton, bypassing New Plymouth
Stratford District Stratford 279 SH 43
(Regan Street)
Taumarunui
South Taranaki District Hawera 310 SH 45
(Surf Highway)
Opunake
Whanganui District Whanganui 402 Whanganui River
Putiki SH 4 (Putiki Drive) – City Centre, National Park
Wikitoria Road – Whanganui Airport 		Roundabout
Rangitikei District Bulls 445 SH 1 north (High Street) – Taupo SH 1/SH 3 concurrency begins
447 Rangitikei River
Manawatu District
Sanson 450 SH 1 south (Wellington Road) – Wellington SH 1/SH 3 concurrency ends
Newbury 468 SH 54 (Kairanga Bunnythorpe Road) – Feilding
Palmerston North City Ashhurst 488 Manawatu River
SH 57 (Fitzherbert East Road) – Levin
Tararua District 495 Manawatu River
Woodville 500 SH 2 north (Vogel Street) – Napier
SH 2 south (McLean Street) – Masterton, Wellington 		SH 3 ends

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Southern Links". NZTA.govt.nz.
  2. ↑ "SH3/21 Intersection Improvement". NZTA.govt.nz. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
  3. ↑ "Key's state of the nation - full speech". NZHerald.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
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