New Zealand State Highway 3

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State Highway 3
Length 489 km
305 mi
Primary direction North-South
Start Hamilton
Primary destinations Te Awamutu
Otorohanga
Te Kuiti
New Plymouth
Hawera
Wanganui
Palmerston North
End Woodville
Route quality 100% single carriageway
0% dual carriageway
0% motorway
Tourist routes None

State Highway 3 is one of New Zealand's eight national 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 SH3 is a two-lane single carriageway, with at-grade intersections and property accesses, both in rural and urban areas.

Contents

[edit] Route

This is the route that SH3 takes in 2007.

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

The highway leaves SH1 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 Tongaporoutu River the highway turns inland to avoid coastal cliffs and climbs over Mount Messenger before descending via river valleys 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 Wanganui before meeting State Highway 1 again at Bulls. Highways 1 and 3 share their route for 6 km as they cross the Rangitikei River to Sanson, where Highway 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 State Highway 2 at Woodville in the Wairarapa.

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

[edit] Route changes

Construction of a bypass of Bell Block, a satellite town of New Plymouth, commenced in 2007.

[edit] State Highway 3 spurs

SH3 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.

[edit] Major Junctions

Territorial authority Location km Destinations Notes
Hamilton City Melville 0 SH 1/Thermal Exporer Highway North
Kahikatea Drive
Auckland		 SH 3 begins
Ohaupo Road
Waikato Hospital
1 SH 3
Normandy Ave
City Centre, Rotorua		 to SH 1/Thermal Exporer Highway South
Waipa District Hamilton Airport SH 21
Hamilton Airport		 also serves Mystery Creek Events Centre
Otorohanga District Otorohanga SH 31/SH 39
Kawhia, Ngaruawahia		 Alternative route to Auckland, bypassing Hamilton
Waitomo District Hangatiki SH 37
Waitomo Caves
Te Kuiti SH 30
Mangakino, Taupo
Eight Mile Junction SH 4
Taumarunui
New Plymouth District Waitara SH 3A
Inglewood		 Alternative route to Southern Taranaki, bypassing New Plymouth
New Plymouth SH 44
Port of Taranaki
SH 45
Opunake
Inglewood SH 3A
Waitara		 Alternative route to Hamilton, bypassing New Plymouth
Stratford District Stratford SH 43
Taumarunui
South Taranaki District Hawera SH 45
Opunake
Wanganui District Putiki SH 4
Raehiti, Taumarunui
Rangitikei District Bulls SH 1
Taupo		 SH 1/SH 3 concurrency begins
Manawatu District Sanson 450 SH 1
Wellington		 SH 1/SH 3 concurrency ends
Newbury 468 SH 54
Feilding
Palmerston North City Ashhurst 488 SH 57
Levin
Tararua District Woodville 500 SH 2/Classic NZ Wine Trail North
Hastings, Napier		 SH 3 ends
SH 2/Classic NZ Wine Trail South
Masterton, Wellington

[edit] See also