Hawke's Bay Expressway

Hawke's Bay Expressway
Hawke's Bay Expressway
Route information
Length	24 km (15 mi)
Component; highways	SH 2;
Major junctions
North end	SH 2 – near Napier Airport
	SH 50 north – Pirimai ; SH 51 ; SH 50 south – near Pakowhai
South end	SH 2 – Pakipaki, south of Hastings
Location
Country	New Zealand
Major cities	Napier, Hastings
Highway system
	New Zealand state highways; Motorways and expressways; List;

The Hawke's Bay Expressway, known also as the Napier-Hastings Expressway, runs from Hawke's Bay Airport, through Napier and Hastings, and ends at Pakipaki, just south of Hastings, a total length of 24 km. It is part of State Highway 2 (SH 2).

History

When the airport at Westshore, Napier, was confirmed as Hawke's Bay's main airport in 1957, Hastings leaders objected, preferring to have an airport closer to their city. The Government set up an Airport Inquiry Committee in 1961 to settle the matter. They confirmed the Napier airport as the best option, and recommended the building of a Napier–Hastings motorway to provide quick access between the airport and Hastings.^[1]

The first section of the expressway, from Kennedy Road at Pirimai to Pakowhai Road, opened in the late 1960s, with raised approaches for a bridge over Kennedy Road being partially formed at the same time. Further construction (south of Pakowhai Road) did not start until the late 1990s. After the approaches for the Kennedy Road overbridge had stood each side of the dual carriageway from Napier to Taradale for several decades, work began to strengthen them and build the bridge in 2002. The section of expressway to Hawke's Bay Airport opened in late 2003. In 2007 the Meeanee Road interchange was built to grade separate that intersection. A new extension south of Flaxmere opened in 2011.

In 2019, the New Zealand Transport Agency approved renumbering of the entire expressway to SH 2. The formerly designated section of SH 2 via Napier and Hastings took a new designation of SH 51, with effect from 1 August.^[2]

Four-Laning/Dual-Carriageway

The expressway remains single carriageway along its length at present, although it has been designed to allow dual-carriageway upgrading. This became an electoral commitment by the National Party in the 2017 election as part of a series of national upgrades to roads, but the Party were not successful at forming a Government in the post-election coalition negotiations.^[3] It was a further commitment by the National Party in the 2020 election. In the 2023 election it was an electoral commitment by both the National Party and the Labour Party. This is the first time there has been bipartisan support for this roading upgrade.^[4] Initial works on the upgrade started in October 2024.^[5]

Design

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), and roundabouts at Pakowhai Road/Links Road (previously traffic lights), 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.

Major intersections

Territorial authority	Location	Km	Destinations	Notes
Napier City	Westshore	0	Watchman Road SH 2 north (Main North Road) – Napier Airport, Gisborne Meeanee Quay (former SH 2 south) – City Centre	Hawke's Bay Expressway begins Hawke's Bay Expressway/SH 2 concurrency begins
	Onekawa	2.4	SH 50 north (Prebensen Road)	Hawke's Bay Expressway/SH 50 concurrency begins
	Onekawa	4.1	SH 51 (Taradale Road) – Clive, Hastings	Coastal route
	Pirimai		Kennedy Road	Northbound exit and southbound entry
	Jervoistown		Meeanee Road	Full diamond interchange
	Pakowhai		Pakowhai Road SH 50 south (Links Road)	Hawke's Bay Expressway/SH 50 concurrency ends Staggered intersection converted to roundabout in 2018^[6]
Hastings District	Hastings		Evenden Road
	Hastings		Omahu Road
	Flaxmere		York Road Flaxmere Avenue
	Longlands		Longlands Road Maraekakaho Road
	Pakipaki		Railway Road (former SH 2 north) – Hastings Te Aute Road – Havelock North SH 2 south – Waipukurau, Wellington	Hawke's Bay Expressway ends Hawke's Bay Expressway/SH 2 concurrency ends

References

^ Campbell, M. D. N. (1975). Story of Napier, 1874–1974. Napier City Council. pp. 204–206.
^ "Hawke's Bay's state highways to be renumbered in August". NZ Transport Agency. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
^ "Next generation Roads of National Significance" (Press release). New New Zealand National Party. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
^ "HAWKE'S BAY EXPRESSWAY SET TO BECOME FOUR LANES AS PART OF GOVERNMENT'S NATION-BUILDING TRANSPORT PLAN". Retrieved 10 January 2024.
^ "Minister of Transport media release". New Zealand Government. 21 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
^ "Higgins to construct SH50 roundabout". NZ Transport Agency. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2018.

[Campbell_204-206-1] Campbell, M. D. N. (1975). Story of Napier, 1874–1974. Napier City Council. pp. 204–206.

[2] "Hawke's Bay's state highways to be renumbered in August". NZ Transport Agency. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.

[3] "Next generation Roads of National Significance" (Press release). New New Zealand National Party. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.

[4] "HAWKE'S BAY EXPRESSWAY SET TO BECOME FOUR LANES AS PART OF GOVERNMENT'S NATION-BUILDING TRANSPORT PLAN". Retrieved 10 January 2024.

[5] "Minister of Transport media release". New Zealand Government. 21 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.

[Links-6] "Higgins to construct SH50 roundabout". NZ Transport Agency. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2018.

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