Morrinsville Road fit for purpose upgrades

We took the decision to close the road very seriously. Before making that decision, we looked at options to keep traffic moving through the construction site, but this would have meant:

• A stop/go system most of the time, with only one lane open during each ‘go’ phase – causing significant congestion and delays. At peak times, the delays could be greater than using the detour routes.
• Extending construction, and travel disruption, by 5-6 months
• Adding around $1million in extra costs.
• Lower quality pavement due to staged construction with multiple joins
• Increased safety risks for workers and the public.

We also investigated keeping the Matangi Road slip lane open, but that would:

• Require the roundabout to be constructed in stages, adding 3-5 months to construction timeframes. In simple terms, the final stage would shift from May to August, which would:
  • Expose earthworks to wet weather, likely causing further delays.
  • Risk lower pavement and asphalt quality, as good weather and warm temperatures are needed for the material to bind and set properly.
  • Result in more joins in the pavement due to staged construction, reducing overall quality.
• Significantly increase costs.
• Compromise pedestrian and cyclist access through the site.
• Still create traffic delays, as vehicles travelling through the slip lane would need to be actively managed.
• Potentially require a full road closure later in the project to complete the final elements of the roundabout.

• We’ll confirm the official detour routes in late-January or early-February. This is the route we recommend people follow, but we know people will choose the routes that work best for them.
• The closures will increase travel times for some residents, the most affected may need to allow up to 20 minutes extra for a one-way trip (compared to current journey times). However:
  • Allowing traffic through the construction site would require a stop/go system which would still significantly increase journey times, potentially more than detour routes.
  • All roads will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists.
• We genuinely appreciate residents’ patience and understanding as it helps realise significant benefits for the wider community.

• We consulted Fire and Emergency NZ, NZ Police, St John, Waikato Regional Council, transport industry representatives, and KiwiRail on the proposed closure. None of these organisations objected. Community chairs also indicated a preference for road closures to minimise the overall construction period and associated traffic disruption.
• We carefully weighed up the impacts and benefits of closures as well as likely community viewpoints. On balance, the benefits far outweighed the impacts.
• We notified the most affected communities in December 2025 and have been looking into their suggestions to reduce impacts. We will also:
  • Work with schools on travel options for students.
  • Provide information to schools and businesses to share with parents and customers.
  • Explore ways to support businesses during the closures.
  • Continue looking at other ways to support the community during the closures.

• In terms of legislative requirements:
  • State Highway closures for maintenance or construction work are enabled under Government Roading Powers Act 1989, which does not require NZTA to undertake formal consultation on roadworks or closures.
  • Local road closures are carried out under Schedule 10 of the Local Government Act 1974, which allows councils to temporarily close roads following consultation with NZ Police and NZTA.
• Even though formal consultation requirements are limited, we have engaged with the community and thoroughly investigated suggestions to reduce the impacts of the closures.

We didn’t undertake traffic modelling for the closure because:

• We understand the likely traffic impacts, and the official detour routes can safely accommodate the additional vehicles.
• We’ll be putting safety measures in place on the detour routes, including signs to encourage safe use of these roads, advanced warning signs for the rail crossing, and vegetation trimming where sightlines are restricted. We’ll also monitor the detour routes during the closure and, if needed, introduce further measures to support safe travel.
• Traffic modelling isn’t completely reliable for temporary closures of this kind, as people often change their habits in ways that are difficult to predict. For example, people may:
  • Travel at different times of day.
  • Combine more errands into each trip.
  • Travel with friends or family.
  • Change where they go for some services.
  • Use delivery services, like for groceries.
  • Work more from home.
  • Travel more by bike, foot, or bus.

School bus services
We’re working with the schools and the Ministry of Education, who will update parents about any changes. Some Ministry‑operated buses will be affected by the closure, and some trips may take up to 20 minutes longer.

Public bus services
While physical works on Morrinsville Road have not yet started, bus detours are already in place due to the length of the construction period. Long term closures require bus operators to implement route changes, timetables, driver scheduling and passenger information well in advance. 

To find out how the bus services in the area have changed during construction, please visit busit.co.nz or download the free Transit app from the App Store or Google Play. The app provides real-time updates, route maps, and service alerts to help you plan your journey.

The roundabout design we engaged with the public on is here and the shared path design is here.

The original form of this road was designed to cater for vehicle traffic and inter-region movement. However, with parks, schools, and many homes and businesses in the area, we need to consider a wider range of needs and options for people to access these locations.

There are limited facilities for active modes to safely move along the road. The Silverdale/Matangi intersection is identified as a high-crash intersection and has no pedestrian facilities.

In 2022, a business case was prepared by NZTA in consultation with key stakeholders that determined improvements needed to ensure the roads are:  

• Safer for all road users.  
• Provides travel choice.  
• Whole of life costs appropriate to the road function (the road assets are upgraded to a standard typical of similar roads in the city, including stormwater needs, to ensure feasible maintenance costs for Council).    

Morrinsville Road has average daily traffic of 13,300 vehicles per day.

Over the last 10 years, 70 crashes have been recorded along the Hamilton section between Cambridge Road the Waikato Expressway.  

Twenty-three of these crashes occurred at the Silverdale/Matangi intersection: 

• One fatal crash involving a cyclist turning right into Matangi Road.
• Ten minor injury crashes.
• Ten non-injury crashes.  

Across the Mullane, Morris and Berkley intersections, 16 crashes were recorded in the last ten years. There were nine injuries – seven minor and two serious. Two involved pedestrians, both school age, and two involved cyclists.

Since 2014, there have been 41 crashes recorded on Morrinsville Road between the Cambridge Road roundabout and Matangi Road. These crashes include:  

• 4 serious crashes 

• 14 minor injury crashes 

• 23 non-injury crashes. 

Out of the 41 recorded crashes: 

• 4 involved cyclists (all non-injury) 

• 3 involved pedestrians (1 serious, 2 minor injuries). 

State highways are those roads in New Zealand that form a nationally strategic purpose in moving people and goods nationwide. For example, State Highway 1 runs the entire length of New Zealand. State highways are a Crown asset managed by NZTA on behalf of central Government. 

 Local roads provide access to homes, business, and community facilities and serve a local strategic purpose in moving goods and people around neighbourhoods, districts, and regions. Local roads are an asset managed by Council. 

The proposed speed limit changes will see the existing 50km/h speed limit extended to the eastern side of the new roundabout.  There is a proposal to change the speed limit around the entrances to Berkely School from 40km/h variable speed limit to 30km/h. Find out more about the safer school speed limits here.

 East of the new roundabout the proposed speed change is 60km/h out past Council’s HCC boundary to the Ruakura Listette Morrinsville roundabout. East of this roundabout, the existing 80km/h will remain.

There are new speed limit rule guidelines being released later in 2024 from NZTA which could impact these proposed changes.