Hawke's Bay Expressway
| Hawke's Bay Expressway | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Maintained by NZ Transport Agency | |
| Length: | 24 km (15 mi) |
| Component highways: |
|
| Major junctions | |
| North end: |
 SH 2 near Napier Airport
|
 SH 50 at Pirimai SH 50 near Pakowhai |
|
| South end: |
SH 2 at Pakipaki, south of Hastings |
| Location | |
| Major cities: | Napier, Hastings |
| Highway system | |
The Hawke's Bay Expressway, known also as the Napier-Hastings Expressway, runs from Hawke's Bay Airport passing through Napier and Taradale, west of Hastings, and ends at Pakipaki just south of Hastings, a total length of 24km.
The first section (Kennedy Road - Pakowhai Road) opened in the late 1960s, and construction did not recommence until the late 1990s (south of Pakowhai Road). For 30 years the partially formed approaches for the Kennedy Road overbridge stood each side of the dual carriageway from Napier to Taradale. In 2002, work began to strengthen the approaches and build the bridge: the new expressway opened through to Hawkes Bay Airport late in 2003. A new extension south of Flaxmere opened in 2011.
The Expressway is one lane in each direction, with, heading south, roundabouts at Prebensen Drive and Taradale Road and interchanges at Kennedy Road (north off, south on) and Meeanee Road (traffic lights for many years and a notorious black spot - replaced with a grade separated interchange in 2007) - more traffic lights at Pakowhai Road (southbound and turning traffic only); and roundabouts at Evenden Road, Omahu Road, Flaxmere Avenue/York Road, a 5-way roundabout with Maraekakaho Road/Longlands Road/Pakipaki Road and a roundabout at its terminus with SH 2 at Pakipaki. The expressway is entirely zoned at a 100 km/h limit.
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Wikipedia