Ōhaupō Signalised Pedestrian Crossing
We're creating a safe pedestrian crossing point with traffic signals on Great South Road in Ōhaupō
About the project
Previously, there was no safe way for pedestrians to cross Great South Road (State Highway 3) in Ōhaupō. We’ve been told by our community this is an important issue they would like addressed. To do this we’re installing a signalised pedestrian crossing in this location.
The new crossing will be located in the centre of the main business district, outside the Windy Ridge Function Centre and the Ōhaupō Store. It will include pedestrian traffic signals, improvements to the footpath on either side of the road and an extension of the kerbing on the neighbouring Great Burke Street.
As part of this project we will also be:
- Constructing three raised safety platforms: one on Great Burke Street and two on SH3 to slow vehicle speeds through town. These are planned for just north of Café De Roadies at the new signalised crossing, and north of Great Collins Road.
- Formalising carparks on Great Burke Street and Great South Road (SH3) to make parking easier and more efficient.
- Moving the bus stops closer to the town centre to take advantage of the new crossing and giving them an upgrade.
Latest updates
March 2024
Improvements to the footpath on either side of the road and an extension of the kerbing has been completed. The reinstatement of the roadside car parking has also been completed.
The north bound bus shelter has been completed and is in use. The south bound bus shelter will be completed by the end of March.
Street furniture, bins and seating, are in place on the western side. Preparation for the street furniture on the eastern side of the road is underway and will be completed by the end of the March.
The signalised crossing platforms are in place. Work will start on the signal boxes and posts once the street furniture work is complete.
Our team have been onsite and have investigated the water flowing on the footpath that goes into the kerb and channel on Great Burke Street, during recent bad weather. We’ve been updated that the site could benefit from a slot drain. The project team are working with contractors to confirm the details and organise the work. Disruption to the site should be minimal and will require some digging for a small trench to set the slot drain in with concrete. Updates will be shared once the work has been confirmed.
The three raised safety platforms on SH3 are yet to be complete. The platforms will be done at night to minimise disruption to traffic. The night works are expected to take approximately four nights towards the end of March. There will be stop/go traffic management in place during this work. New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi are currently finalising design plans. Once this has been done, we will confirm the timing for this work, which is likely to also be at night to help minimise disruptions. Resealing of SH3 will also be done by New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi during the night. The exact details of when this will go-ahead is currently being confirmed.
October 2023
Construction is currently underway and is expected to be completed by March 2024.
To minimise disruption, the road will remain open to two lanes of traffic for the majority of the construction period. Shops and businesses on SH3 will remain open and accessible at all times during business hours.
During construction the following measures will be in place:
- The speed limit will be temporarily reduced through the construction area to 30km/hour for the safety of our contractors.
- The road will be narrowed to make space for construction activities, with some parking spaces temporarily removed while we carry out the footpath improvements and install the traffic signals.
The majority of works will be carried out between 7am – 6pm Monday to Saturday with the exception of the construction of the raised platforms on SH3 and Great Burke Street which will be carried out at night to minimise disruption to traffic. Stop/go traffic management will be in place at this time.
Public consultation
In 2021, we held an online information session with residents and business owners in Ōhaupō. This was an opportunity for us to share our plans for the signalised crossing in more detail and answer any questions.
Thank you to everyone who joined us! It was a fantastic session and there were many great questions. Some of the things raised during the meeting were:
- Flashing warning lights should be considered before the crossing on both sides of Great South Road to warn vehicles of the signalized crossing ahead.
- The new location of the bus stops must not reduce parking availability on the main street.
- The proposed lane widths on Great South Road (SH3) should be checked to ensure that large vehicles such as tractors can still use this road.
- Proposed lane widths on Great Burke Street should also be checked to ensure buses can still use this street.
Several concerns were also raised around the removal of parking spaces in the town centre. We are happy to confirm we will not be removing any of the parking spaces, we are formalising them which means we’ll add painted white lines to the road to make parking easier and more efficient.
We are working in partnership with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to deliver this project.
Media releases
- Construction now underway on signalised pedestrian crossing in Ōhaupō, 26 October 2023.
- Work on new pedestrian crossing in Ōhaupō to kick off in coming months, 20 September 2023
- Pedestrian works in Ōhaupō delayed, 6 March 2023
- Ōhaupō residents invited to information session about crossing, 4 November 2021
- Pedestrian works in Ōhaupō village enter design stage, 16 September 2021
Frequently asked questions
For more information on the Ōhaupō pedestrian crossing we encourage you to have a look at the FAQs.