Transport Agency contractors have been digging out and replacing a 12 metre wide, four metre deep stretch of the highway, which has been damaged by a natural process called tunnel erosion.

The final seal is expected to be placed on the State Highway in the next week. A speed restriction will remain in place while the new seal beds down.

Motorists can expect minor delays while the speed restriction is in place.

Work or events that are scheduled to start in the next week or are currently underway are detailed below to help people plan ahead when travelling. Works and events are weather dependent and may be postponed if necessary.

Waikato

State Highway 3 Mokau

SH3 traffic will remain at single lane passing the recent Mokau slip while investigation work is done on a long-term solution. The road was closed after a large slip on 18 September, with a single lane opening four days later after the cliff above was stabilised. Vehicles can move through under stop/go with minimal delay. The Transport Agency has geotechnical specialists working on a solution at the site, just south of Mokau, and while that process continues barriers will remain in place and the south-bound lane closed.

Bay of Plenty

State Highway 5 – south of Rotorua at Tumunui

Work on a major repair to State Highway 5 at Tumunui, 17kms south of Rotorua, is almost complete. Transport Agency contractors have been digging out and replacing a 12 metre wide, four metre deep stretch of the highway, which has been damaged by a natural process called tunnel erosion. The final seal is expected to be placed on the State Highway soon. A speed restriction will remain in place while the new seal beds down. Motorists can expect some delays while the speed restriction is in place.

State Highway 2 Waioeka Gorge – Rock-fall prevention works

Rock scaling and plant removal will take place on State Highway 2 in the Waioeka Gorge until early December. There will be intermittent road closures of approximately ten minutes at a time to allow rock and/or vegetation to be brought down safely.  Road users can expect delays and should allow an extra 15 minutes for their journey

Te Puke town

Motorists can expect minor delays while rehabilitation work is carried out near Poplar Lane. A new roundabout is also being put in place at the Jellicoe Street and Boucher Avenue intersection.

More information

Motorists can get real time information from:

• 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)
• www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic

For Waikato/Bay of Plenty updates

• www.facebook.com/NZTAWaikatoBoP/
• www.twitter.com/NZTAWaiBoP

For current travel times use: www.drivelive.nz

For personalised information about driving conditions on frequently used routes, motorists can check out and sign up to On the Move.

Traffic notice for the week 7 October - 1330 September - 6 October 2016

Traffic notices provide a brief overview of likely traffic disruptions for the following week. Full closures are also advertised in the Weekend Herald. Traffic notices are complemented by monthly construction updates and quarterly newsletters.

ALREADY IN PLACE

• Narrowed lanes and 80 km/h speed limit northbound between the Pahurehure Inlet and Hill Road.

• Narrowed lanes and 80 km/h speed limit southbound between Hill Road and the Pahurehure Inlet.

TRAFFIC NEXT WEEK

• Sunday 9 October - Monday 10 OctoberSunday 2 October - Wednesday 5 October - Night closure of the full southboundnorthbound motorway between the ManukauTakanini Interchange through to the Takanini Interchange. This includes the closure of the Redoubt Road on-ramp, Lambie Drive eastbound on-ramp, and SH20-1 Link.Hill Road.

• Sunday 16 October - Thursday 20 OctoberSunday 2 October - Thursday 6 October - Night closure of the full southbound     motorway between thefull  southbound motorway between Manukau Interchange through to the Takanini Interchange. This includes the closure of the Redoubt Road on-ramp, Lambie Drive eastbound on-ramp,on-ramp and SH20-1 Link.

UPCOMING WORKS (dates may be subject to change)

• Sunday 16 October - Thursday 20 OctoberWednesday 12 October - Thursday 13 October - Night closure of theof the full southboundsouthbound motorway between the Manukaufrom the Manukau Interchange through to the Takanini Interchange. This includes the closure of the Redoubt Road on-ramp, Lambie Drive eastbound on-ramp,on-ramp and SH20-1 Link.

Night work on the motorway next week involves installation of bridge beams.slip form barrier and pavement construction. If it rains or ground conditions are too wet, work will be postponed until the next available dry night.

Work during the night will allow our crews to operate equipment safely while adjacent to the existing traffic lanes. Work in the shoulder and median work zones will continue during the daytime next week, but this will not affect traffic movements.

Night closures are typically from 9pm at night to 5am in the morning. Detours will be in place to take motorists along local roads, leading back to the next motorway interchange. All detours will be clearly signposted, and maps of the typical routes can be found below. Please allow extra time for your journey at night.

With lanes narrowed, it is important that motorists keep to the 80 km/h speed limit past our work areas. There will be ongoing truck and project vehicle movements accessing the shoulder and median work sites. Keeping both motorists and our team members safe as possible is imperative and we need everyone's help to do this.

As always, we will do our best to minimise effects of these works on motorists as much as we can.

We thank you for your patience as we work to improve journey reliability and safety along the Southern Corridor.

If you have any questions or queries, please contact our team on free phone at 0508 NZTA SCI (0508 698 2724) or email us at southerncorridor@nzta.govt.nz . Also, feel free to visit us at the Project Drop-In Centre located at 8 Great South Road, Takanini.

DETOUR MAPS

Southbound Takanini Papakura Detour Map

Southbound Manukau Takanini Detour Map

Northbound Takanini Manukau Detour Map

Northbound Papakura Takanini Detour Map

The NZ Transport Agency is pleased to be supporting the Marlborough Health and Safety Forum’s upcoming 2016 Seminar Session on Health in the Workplace. This session will include presentations from a range of speakers including:

• Mary Obele, Occupational Physician: The importance of occupational health and occupational health monitoring.
• Deb McAlpine, 3M: PPE, including fit testing for respiratory protection
• Jill Caslick, Occupational Health Nurse: “Dangerous Decibels” noise awareness program

Find out more about the Marlborough Health and Safety Forum.

What: Marlborough Health and Safety Forum’s 2016 Seminar Session

When: 30 November 2016, 1pm to 4pm

Where: Marlborough Convention Centre

While the road is now open in both directions and traffic is flowing, motorists are advised to delay travel if possible as it may take some time clear the backlog of traffic. We appreciate motorists’ patience until traffic patterns return to normal.

Now that State Highway 1 is open, motorists are advised to avoid using Paekakariki Hill Road as it is currently heavily congested.

As the situation changes, motorists can get updates on State Highway 1 traffic conditions via

• NZTA Wellington Twitter
• NZTA Wellington Facebook
• Transport For Wellington

0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)

4 October 2016

How many vehicles does this affect?

We don’t currently have a clear indication of how many vehicles are affected but we are working closely with manufacturers, both locally and in Japan, to get more information. Toyota informed us that the practice of disabling front passenger airbags was offered to customers in Japan from early 2015, so we believe that cars imported into New Zealand in 2015 and 2016, and that were part of the Takata recall, could potentially have been subject to this practice. The scope of affected vehicles may change as more information becomes available.

How can I find out if my car is affected?

To find out if you should get the front passenger airbag in your car checked:

1. If you don’t already know, find out if your vehicle is part of the Takata airbags recall. The best way to do this is by checking with an official dealer for the make of your car. There is also information available on the government's recalls website , although this may not include all used imports – we are working on providing more comprehensive information as soon as possible.

2. The Takata airbags recall2. If your vehicle is a used import from Japan and is part of the recall, check the date it was announcedfirst registered in 2013.New Zealand. If it was in 2015 or 2016, it could potentially have had the front passenger airbag disabled, so it should be checked. See below for where to find this date on a vehicle licence (rego) label.

More detailed information will be published on our website, as it becomes available.

It’s important to note that only a percentage of vehicles will have had their front passenger airbags disabled, but all vehicles that fit the criteria should be checked. Your vehicle manufacturer’s representative in New Zealand (such as a local dealership) will be able to provide advice about this.

How did the Transport Agency find out about this issue?

We were advised very recently by Toyota’s New Zealand operation that they had identified this issue in used imports and we acted immediately to investigate it. We understand that Toyota NZalso informed usthe New Zealand representatives of other manufacturers at that time.

What is the practiceTransport Agency’s role in this issue and what are you doing about it?

As a safety regulator, we have a number of disablingdifferent roles. We are responsible for setting entry certification requirements which will act as a means of ensuring no further vehicles enter New Zealand with disabled airbags.

We also support manufacturers in carrying out recalls – in this situation we are working with representatives of both the new car importers (manufacturers) and the importers of used vehicles to ensure appropriate action is taken. This includes gathering and publishing information, where available, about which cars were recorded in Japan as having had their airbags disabled. This information will be published on our website as it becomes available.

Who will pay for me to have my vehicle checked and, if required, its airbag reconnected?

Replacement of an airbag as part of the Takata recall is the vehicle manufacturer’s responsibility. We recommend you discuss payment for having your vehicle checked with their New Zealand vehicle agent, that is, an official dealer.

Why isn’t more detailed information available?

We only recently became aware of this issue and it’s important we gather more information and ensure appropriate action is taken to protect public safety. We are committed to keeping vehicle owners informed but we need to make sure systems are in place to deal with this issue effectively.

How will you stop further affected vehicles beganentering New Zealand?

We have amended entry certification requirements, which all imported used vehicles from Japan must go through. Additional checking of potentially affected vehicles is now required and disabled airbags must be reconnected before vehicles can be certified for use on New Zealand roads.

Why wasn’t this practice picked up as part of entry certification checks before now?

Due to the way this modification was done in 2015Japan, there is no way of knowing it had happened without additional checks. The modification involved disconnecting the airbag and placing an extra component into the electronics that meant the car’s self-diagnostic systems registered the airbag as being in responsethe vehicle and that it was functioning.

This means that the normal inspection practice of checking the dashboard airbag warning lights would not identify that the airbag had been disabled. A visual check of the connection itself is instead required, which may involve dismantling part of the vehicle’s interior. This additional check has now been added to public concernsentry certification requirements.

If I get my vehicle’s front passenger airbag reconnected, will it be safe?

Reconnected airbags will still be subject to the global recall of Takata airbags. This means that the airbag is still potentially faulty. However, it is safer to have a functioning but potentially faulty airbag than to have none at all.

Only a very small percentage of the potentially faulty airbags are likely to malfunction in a crash, and if an affected vehicle is involved in a crash where the airbag requires deployment, it is highly likely the passenger will sustain serious injury if the airbag is disabled entirely. Airbags are part of a wider system of safety measures built into vehicles and a disabled airbag will also compromise the effectiveness of other parts of that system, such as seatbelts.

Why did manufacturers in Japan about wait timesdisable these airbags?

We understand that manufacturers in Japan began offering this modification in response to public concern while waiting for replacement airbags asunder the global Takata airbags recall. We believe that when an airbag was disconnected in Japan, a temporary notice was attached to the sun visor advising it had been disconnected and recommending that the seat was not occupied.

Am I driving illegally if I have an affected vehicle and what does this mean for getting a warrant of fitness (WoF)?

While it was legal in Japan, this modification (to disable the passenger airbag) does not meet New Zealand requirements. This is why we are working with manufacturers to get more information on modifications undertaken, and urging affected vehicle owners to contact relevant dealers to have their vehicles checked and if necessary have the airbag reconnected.

We are working through implications for the WoF system but at present WoF inspectors are not required to perform a specific visual check for this modification.

Even if the airbag is connected, it will still be part of a recall that’s taking a long time to complete – does that mean my car is safe to drive in the Takata recall. 
We are urgently seeking information from other manufacturers to determine when the practice began for other makes.
If it was imported from Japan, confirm when it was imported into New Zealand. The easiest way to do this is to check the date it was first registered in New Zealand. You can find this on the vehicle licence (rego) label on the windscreen – see the diagram below.

More detailed information will be published on our website, as it becomes available.

It’s important to note that only a percentage of vehicles will have had their front passenger airbags disabled, but all vehicles that fit the criteria should be checked. Your vehicle manufacturer’s representative in New Zealand (such as a local dealership) will be able to provide advice about this.

How did the Transport Agency find out about this issue?

We were advised very recently by Toyota’s New Zealand operation that they had identified this issue in used imports and we acted immediately to investigate it. We understand that Toyota also informed the New Zealand representatives of other manufacturers at that time.

What is the Transport Agency’s role in this issue and what are you doing about it?

As a safety regulator, we have a number of different roles. We are responsible for setting entry certification requirements which will act as a means of ensuring no further vehicles enter New Zealand with disabled airbags.

We also support manufacturers in carrying out recalls – in this situation we are working with representatives of both the new car importers (manufacturers) and the importers of used vehicles to ensure appropriate action is taken. This includes gathering and publishing information, where available, about which cars were recorded in Japan as having had their airbags disabled. This information will be published on our website as it becomes available.

Who will pay for me to have my vehicle checked and, if required, its airbag reconnected?

Replacement of an airbag as part of the Takata recall is the vehicle manufacturer’s responsibility. We recommend you discuss payment for having your vehicle checked with their New Zealand vehicle agent, that is, an official dealer.

Why isn’t more detailed information available?

We only recently became aware of this issue and it’s important we gather more information and ensure appropriate action is taken to protect public safety. We are committed to keeping vehicle owners informed but we need to make sure systems are in place to deal with this issue effectively.

How will you stop further affected vehicles entering New Zealand?

We have amended entry certification requirements, which all imported used vehicles from Japan must go through. Additional checking of potentially affected vehicles is now required and disabled airbags must be reconnected before vehicles can be certified for use on New Zealand roads.

Why wasn’t this practice picked up as part of entry certification checks before now?

Due to the way this modification was done in Japan, there is no way of knowing it had happened without additional checks. The modification involved disconnecting the airbag and placing an extra component into the electronics that meant the car’s self-diagnostic systems registered the airbag as being in the vehicle and that it was functioning.

This means that the normal inspection practice of checking the dashboard airbag warning lights would not identify that the airbag had been disabled. A visual check of the connection itself is instead required, which may involve dismantling part of the vehicle’s interior. This additional check has now been added to entry certification requirements.

If I get my vehicle’s front passenger airbag reconnected, will it be safe?

Reconnected airbags will still be subject to the global recall of Takata airbags. This means that the airbag is still potentially faulty. However, it is safer to have a functioning but potentially faulty airbag than to have none at all.

Only a very small percentage of the potentially faulty airbags are likely to malfunction in a crash, and if an affected vehicle is involved in a crash where the airbag requires deployment, it is highly likely the passenger will sustain serious injury if the airbag is disabled entirely. Airbags are part of a wider system of safety measures built into vehicles and a disabled airbag will also compromise the effectiveness of other parts of that system, such as seatbelts.

Why did manufacturers in Japan disable these airbags?

We understand that manufacturers in Japan began offering this modification in response to public concern while waiting for replacement airbags under the global Takata airbags recall. We believe that when an airbag was disconnected in Japan, a temporary notice was attached to the sun visor advising it had been disconnected and recommending that the seat was not occupied.

Am I driving illegally if I have an affected vehicle and what does this mean for getting a warrant of fitness (WoF)?

While it was legal in Japan, this modification (to disable the passenger airbag) does not meet New Zealand requirements. This is why we are working with manufacturers to get more information on modifications undertaken, and urging affected vehicle owners to contact relevant dealers to have their vehicles checked and if necessary have the airbag reconnected.

We are working through implications for the WoF system but at present WoF inspectors are not required to perform a specific visual check for this modification.

Even if the airbag is connected, it will still be part of a recall that’s taking a long time to complete – does that mean my car is safe to drive in the meantime?

Our advice, and the advice from manufacturers, is that vehicles under this recall are safe to drive. Recalls happen when there is a potential fault – and only a small percentage of the potentially faulty airbags are likely to malfunction in a crash. We have no evidence of the recalled airbags malfunctioning in New Zealand to date.

meantime?

Our advice, and the advice from manufacturers, is that vehicles under this recall are safe to drive. Recalls happen when there is a potential fault – and only a small percentage of the potentially faulty airbags are likely to malfunction in a crash. We have no evidence of the recalled airbags malfunctioning in New Zealand to date.

Information about roadworks in the Wairarapa region

Well maintained roads are an important part of keeping people safe.  While we aim to do this work with as little disruption as possible, we know that roadworks can be inconvenient.  Thanks for your patience and understanding while we do this important work.

Please drive carefully through work sites and stick to the temporary speed limits.  If you’re driving around the Wairarapa, roadworks on the state highway network may affect your travel plans.

Below is a quick outline of the major works planned for the coming week from 25 September 2016 .  We’ll keep you posted on future works and have regular updates on local radio stations.

State Highway 2

NOTE: If bad weather should strike, work will be postponed to the next suitable night.

Information about roadworks in the Wellington-Kāpiti region.

Well maintained roads are an important part of keeping people safe.  While we aim to do this work with as little disruption as possible, we know that roadworks can be inconvenient.  Thanks for your patience and understanding while we do this important work.

Please drive carefully through work sites and stick to the temporary speed limits.  If you’re driving around the Wellington region, roadworks on the state highway network may affect your travel plans.

Below is a quick outline of the major works planned for the coming week from 10 October 201625 September 2016 .  We’ll keep you posted on future works and have regular updates on local radio stations.

State Highway 1

State Highway 2

State Highway 58

NOTE: If bad weather should strike, work will be postponed to the next suitable night.

Julie Denham had given up ever finding the jewellery box she lost when she moved house a year ago.

It disappeared from a stack of packing boxes somewhere en route between Snells Beach and Orewa. Tucked inside a courier bag the jewellery box was protecting her grandmother’s 1900, rose gold brooch and a pin of her mother’s.

“In the chaos of moving I didn’t realise it was even missing for a few months and after searching for the box I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to see it again,” explains Julie.

Fast forward a year and a motorway maintenance crew working for the NZ Transport Agency was picking up rubbish on the steep, rocky slopes of State Highway 1 just south of the Johnstones Hill Tunnels.

Wedged in some rocks was a tattered courier bag with the addresses of both the sender and the recipient still clearly marked.

Determined to reunite it with its owner the Transport Agency team set about doing some detective work to track her down and deliver it to her in person.

“Out of the blue I got a phone call from the police in Tauranga to say the Transport Agency had found my brooch and they wanted to get in touch to return it to me.”

“I just about fell off the end of the phone, and I ran around saying to my family, you’ll never guess where the darn brooch is, it’s been out on the road all this time.”

The road crew says the package was really light and there was a small hole in the courier bag that must have caught the wind and blown it around like a balloon before getting trapped in the rocks.

“When the two road workers walked up the street it was quite a sight, these two big guys with their hi-vis vests carrying my little parcel and I thought, oh my gosh it’s coming home, I’m just so grateful they made such an effort to return it to me.”

“And I promise I’ll try and stop dropping my junk along the road when I move from now on.”

Toyota NZ has provided the Transport Agency with a list of 7,560 vehicles currently registered in New Zealand which have had front passenger airbags disconnected in Japan.

The Transport Agency has uploaded the information for all of these vehicles on the rightcar.govt.nz/recalls website, which is searchable by registration plate. When the registration plate of a vehicle which is known to have had the passenger airbag disconnected is entered, the notice below will be displayed along with other information for the vehicle.

The Transport Agency has also provided Toyota NZ with the owner details for these vehicles and Toyota is contacting the owners directly with information on how to have the airbags reconnected or replaced.

The Transport Agency is urgently seeking the same information from the NZ representatives of other Japanese manufacturers, and this information will be added to the online Rightcar database as soon as it is available.

What is the issue?

Toyota NZ has informed the NZ Transport Agency that the practice of disabling airbags on their vehicles in Japan began in 2015 in response to public concerns in Japan about wait times for replacement airbags as part of the global Takata airbag recall. The Transport Agency is seeking confirmation from other manufacturers to determine when the practice began for other makes.

The modifications, which are legal in Japan, involve disconnecting the airbag and placing an extra component into the vehicle’s electronics, resulting in the car’s self-diagnostic systems registering the disabled airbag as functional.

Due to the way these modifications are carried out in Japan, invasive visual checks are the only way of determining with certainty if the airbags have been disabled, as the vehicle’s dashboard warning lights will not identify the disabled airbags.

What is being done about it?

Since becoming aware of the issue the Transport Agency has urgently amended the entry certification inspection requirements for used imported vehicles from Japan. From Wednesday October 5 these vehicles have been required to undergo a visual check of the airbag connection, which in most cases involves physically dismantling part of the vehicle to sight the airbag connection.

The Transport Agency is working with individual manufacturers, the Motor Industry Association (MIA), and the Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association (IMVIA), to gather more information and to identify individual vehicles which are affected.

In addition to informing the public about the need to get vehicles checked and making information available on the Rightcar website, the Transport Agency is also developing a process which will allow WoF inspectors to identify vehicles on the Transport Agency’s database where the airbags are known to have been disconnected. These vehicles will not pass the WoF and the owner will be advised to have the airbag reconnected. This process is expected to be in place for WoF inspections from this week.

This will provide a further check in the system to ensure vehicles with airbags that are known to have been disabled are addressed so that they comply with New Zealand requirements.

How do I know if my vehicle is affected and what should I do?

The issue will only affect vehicles subject to the Takata airbag recall.

Vehicle owners can visit the government’s recalls website to check if their vehicle is subject to the Takata airbag recall.

Vehicle owners can also check the rightcar.govt.nz/recalls website, where information on vehicles with disabled passenger airbags is being uploaded as it is provided by manufacturers. The Rightcar website is searchable by registration plate.

Anyone with immediate concerns is advised to contact their vehicle manufacturer’s representative in New Zealand – such as a local dealership – for advice on how to get their vehicle checked.

Further information can be found at www.nzta.govt.nz, and vehicle owners can ring the NZ Transport Agency 0800 108 809 from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday

Standard bridge drawings were produced by the Public Works Department (PWD), Ministry of Works (MOW) and Ministry of Works and Development (MWD) throughout the lifetime of these organisations. Upon privatisation of the MWD the drawings continued to be maintained by Works Consultancy Services (WCS) and Opus International Consultants Ltd (Opus).

More recently new standard bridge beam drawings were developed through a Transport Agency research project undertaken by Beca and Opus. For details of these drawings see https://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/364/.

Historical standard bridge drawings produced by the MOW and MWD have been scanned from drawing folder sets. The most recent standard bridge drawings produced by WCS or Opus have been obtained from electronic records held by Opus.

Older standard bridge drawings produced by the PWD are now being sought from archives and will be added to this website when available.

These historical standard bridge drawings are made available for information purposes only noting the terms of the following important note.

Important note:

The user acknowledges that while these records were accurate as at the date they were produced there is no guarantee that they remain an accurate representation of the bridges and any use of or reliance on these drawings is at the user’s own risk.

Neither the Transport Agency nor Opus International consultants are responsible for the consequences of any other party’s use of or reliance on these historical drawings (for any purpose), and neither party shall be liable for any loss or damage incurred for any consequences arising from such use or reliance.

Each drawing folder set has a PDF document indexing the drawings contained within the folder. The indexes, which can be accessed below, include hyperlinks to each drawing.

Index of standard bridge drawings

For further information contact bridgemanual@nzta.govt.nz.

The Transport Agency has recently been made aware that in 2015 some manufacturers in Japan began offering customers the option of disabling front passenger airbags, in response to public concerns in Japan about wait times for replacement airbags as part of the global Takata airbag recall. 

The modifications carried out on vehicles in Japan involved disconnecting the airbag and placing an extra component into the vehicle’s electronics, resulting in the car’s self-diagnostic systems registering the disabled airbag as functional.

Due to the way these modifications were done in Japan, invasive visual checks are the only way of determining with certainty if the airbags have been disabled, as the vehicle’s dashboard warning lights will not identify the disabled airbags.

Since becoming aware of the issue the Transport Agency has urgently amended the entry certification inspection requirements for used imported vehicles from Japan.  From tomorrow these vehicles will be required to undergo a visual check of the airbag connection, which in most cases will involve physically dismantling part of the vehicle to sight the airbag connection.

Transport Agency National Delivery Manager Robyn Elston says while it is not currently known how many vehicles with disabled airbags have entered New Zealand, the issue will only affect vehicles subject to the Takata airbag recall, and current information from manufacturers suggests the issue will also be limited to vehicles imported since 2015, when the practice is known to have begun in Japan.

“We are working urgently with individual manufacturers, the Motor Industry Association (MIA), and the Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association (IMVIA), to gather more information and to identify individual vehicles which are affected. We will publish lists of affected vehicles on our website as the information is gathered from manufacturers.

“While we have taken immediate action to investigate the extent of the issue and to ensure no further vehicles enter the country with disabled airbags, it’s important that potentially affected vehicles already here are checked and that any disabled airbags are reconnected. 

“If you have any immediate concerns, we suggest you contact your vehicle manufacturer’s representative in New Zealand – such as a local dealership – for advice on how to get your vehicle checked.”

Vehicle owners can also ring the NZ Transport Agency for assistance on 0800 108 809, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

FurtherMore detailed information iswill soon be available on this site under Recalled Takata airbags — what you need to knowthe NZ Transport Agency website,  nzta.govt.nz .

How to find out if your car is part of the Takata airbags recall

• The best way to check is by contacting an official dealer for the make of your vehicle.

• You can also check the government’s recalls website . 

What to do if your car is part of the recall

• The vehicle manufacturer will contact you about bringing your car in for replacement airbags to be installed. They use contact details from the Motor Vehicle Register – check your details are up to date.

• If you have any concerns about the recall in the meantime, contact an official dealer for the make of your vehicle.

• Please note that some cars under the recall should have the front passenger airbag checked as soon as possible. Information on this follows below.

The Takata airbags global recall could affect up to 100 million vehicles worldwide, across around 12 different vehicle manufacturers, so there are delays while replacement airbags are manufactured and replaced to appropriate standards. Many countries are facing this issue.

 It’s important to note that recalls happen when there is a potential fault. Only a small percentage of the potentially faulty airbags are likely to malfunction in a crash. However, vehicle owners should act on recall notices to remove the risk, and contact an official dealer if concerned.

 Our advice, and the advice from manufacturers, is that cars under this recall are safe to drive.

How to find out if your car may have had its front passenger airbag disabled

1. Confirm it was part of the Takata airbags recall (see above for how), and

2. The Takata airbags recall was announced in 2013. Toyota NZ informed us that the practice of disabling airbags on their vehicles began in 2015 in response to public concerns in Japan about wait times for replacement airbags as part of the Takata recall.
   
   We are urgently seeking information from other manufacturers to determine when the practice began for other makes.
   
   If it was imported from Japan, confirm when it was imported into New Zealand. The easiest way to do this is to check the date it was first registered in New Zealand. You can find this on the vehicle licence (rego) label on the windscreen – see the diagram below. 
   
   

What to do if you’re concerned about potentially disabled front passenger airbags

As above, note this applies if your car is part of the Takata airbags recall and was imported into New Zealand from Japan since the Takata airbags recall was announced in 2013.

• Contact an official dealer for the make of your vehicle for advice on how to get your vehicle checked.

• As an additional check to see if your car is affected, you can also search your licence plate at the Rightcar website to see if a note has been added about a disabled airbag. As we receive information from manufacturers where they have been able to identify which cars had airbags disconnected in Japan, we will add this information to individual vehicle records. (Note that because of the lack of information available from some manufacturers, not all cars with disabled airbags will have a note added to their Rightcar entry.)

• You can also contact the Transport Agency for assistance on 0800 108 809, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

We have issued media releasesa media release about this and put together more detailed questions and answers– we will update these as more information becomes available. We are working with vehicle manufacturers and their representatives, and importers’ representatives, to gather information.

Over the last month, work has involved pavement construction, bridge upgrades, service protections,locations, and various retaining walls.

The safe work zones are in place between Hill Road to Takanini Interchange:and the Pahurehure Inlet.

Hill Road to Takanini Interchange:

• Base layers and asphaltAsphalt operations were laid to formcompleted in the new pavementmedian area between HillAlfriston Road and Alfriston Road.
• Slip-form concrete barrier installation continued in the median.Takanini Interchange.
• Earthworks and drainage continued along the southbound shoulder of the motorway. This included shaping of the new open channels (also known as swales), which help treat stormwater as it runs off the motorway.

Takanini Interchange to Pahurehure Inlet:

• Earthworks and drainage installation were completed in the median and continued along the northboundsouthbound shoulder of the motorway. This included shaping of the new open channels (also known as swales),swales) which help treat stormwater as it runs off the motorway.
• Asphalt operations commenced in the median.
• Retaining wall and noise wall construction began on the southbound side of the motorway.
• Installation of slip-form concrete barriers began in the median.

Other Areas: 

• On the Papakura Stream bridge,Bridge, just north of the railway line, ongoing substructure work and retaining wall construction continued.
• Work continued to excavate and soil nail the abutments under bridges crossing the railway line and along the southbound off-ramp towards Spartan Road.
• Work continued on the placement of precast retaining wall panels nearestand the reinforcing cage for the northern abutment of the Spartan Road Bridge.
• Continued offsite precasting components for retaining walls, noise walls, and bridges.

Over the next month, we will continue working in the median and shoulders between Hill Road and the Pahurehure Inlet. We will also continue working to widen the motorway bridges over the Papakura StreamStream, and the KiwiRail Lines. WeLines. Service investigations will utilise opportunities tocontinue for future work on the northbound side of the motorway, however, our focus remains on the southbound side. This will ensure we achieve our goal of an additional lane from Hill Roadareas to north of the Pahurehure Inlet (excluding the Takanini Interchange) by the end of March 2017.be established, including works around major utilities such as gas, water, and power main lines. Work this month includes:

Hill Road to Takanini Interchange:

• In the median, base layers will be laid to form the new pavement between Hill Road toand Alfriston Road:
  
  
  • Road.
  • Installation of lighting structuresAsphalt operations will commence in the median barrier.between Hill Road and Alfriston Road.
  • Temporary pavement operationsInstallation of slip-form concrete barriers will continue in the median under Alfriston Bridgemedian.
  • Earthworks and drainage installation will continue along the southbound shoulder of the motorway. This includes shaping of the new open channels (also known as swales) which help treat stormwater as it runs off the motorway.
  • Earthworks and drainage will continue along the southbound shoulder of the motorway and under the Alfriston Bridge. This includes shaping of the new open channels (also known as swales), which help treat stormwater as it runs off the motorway.

  Alfriston Road to Takanini Interchange:

  • Installation of lighting structures in the median barrier.
  • Earthworks and drainage will continue along the southbound shoulder of the motorway. This includes shaping of the new open channels (also known as swales), which help treat stormwater as it runs off the motorway.
  • Retaining wall construction will commence along the southbound side of the motorway.

  Takanini Interchange to Pahurehure Inlet: 

  Takanini Interchange to Pahurehure Inlet:

  • Asphalt operations will continuebegin in the median betweenmedian between the Takanini Interchange and Walter Strevens Drive.the Pahurehure Inlet.
  • Installation of slip-form concrete barriers will continue in the median.
  • Vegetation clearance continuesremoval and mulching will continue on the shoulder along the southbound shoulder in preparation for retaining wall and noise wall construction.northbound side of the motorway.
  • Retaining wall and noise wall construction will commence on the southbound side of the motorway.
  • Earthworks and drainage will continue alonginstallation commence on the northbound and southbound shouldersshoulder of the motorway. This includesincluded shaping of the new open channels (also known as swales),swales) which help treat stormwater as it runs off the motorway.
  • On the southbound side of the motorway, retaining wall and noise wall construction will commence.

  Other Areas: 

  Other Areas:

  • On the Papakura Stream bridge, beam installation will commence, and substructuresubstructure work and retaining wall construction will continue. is ongoing.
  • On the Spartan Road Bridge, beam installation will commence, and work willWe continue on the placement of precast retaining wall panels.
  • Continued offsite precasting components for noise walls, retaining walls, noise walls, and bridges.
  • Work continues on the placement of precast retaining wall panels nearest the Spartan Road Bridge.
  • Across the project, long term environmental controls are being installed to maintain water quality during construction.

   

  With the lanes narrowed, there is less time to react to other vehicles and  itIt is important that motorists keep to the 80 km/h speed limit past our work areas. There will be ongoing truck and project vehicle movements accessing the shoulder and the median work sites. Keeping both motorists and our team members as safe as possible is imperative and we need everyone's help to do this.

  As always, we will be doing our best to minimise effects of these works on motorists as much as we can. We thank you for your patience as we work to improve journey reliability and safety along the Southern Corridor.

   

Information about roadworks in the Wellington-Kāpiti region

Well maintained roads are an important part of keeping people safe.  While we aim to do this work with as little disruption as possible, we know that roadworks can be inconvenient.  Thanks for your patience and understanding while we do this important work.

Please drive carefully through work sites and stick to the temporary speed limits.  If you’re driving around the Wellington region, roadworks on the state highway network may affect your travel plans.

Below is a quick outline of the major works planned for the coming week from 16 October 2016 .  We’ll keep you posted on future works and have regular updates on local radio stations.

State Highway 1

Well maintained roads are an important part of keeping people safe.  While we aim to do this work with as little disruption as possible, we know that roadworks can be inconvenient.  Thanks for your patience and understanding while we do this important work.

Please drive carefully through work sites and stick to the temporary speed limits.  If you’re driving around the Wairarapa, roadworks on the state highway network may affect your travel plans.

Below is a quick outline of the major works planned for the coming week from 16 October 2016 . 10 October 2016 .  

State Highway 2

State Highway 53

NOTE: If bad weather should strike, work will be postponed to the next suitable night.

The NZ Transport Agency said that the route, which includes a new alignment and temporary road surfacing, will be operated under a reduced speed limit until the project is complete in late February 2017. 

“We urge motorists to keep to the posted reduced speed limits and to carefully observe the signage directing them onto the correct routes. This will help keep everyone safe – including other drivers and the road workers in the area,” Ross I'Anson, Highway Manager, NZ Transport Agency says. 

"The southern end will operate under a 30 km/h speed restriction initially. We will monitor this closely and, if we can safely increase this to 50 km/h, we will do so. 

"There may be small delays as people adjust to the new route and the lowered speed limits. Everyone's safety is important so please be patient with other road users," he says. 

Next steps for the project are the removal over the existing overbridge and its southern ramp which is scheduled to be complete by the end of November. The structure will be removed 28-30 October.  Once this work is completed we will finish construction of the road on the new alignment. 

All roadworks are weather dependent and there are times when weather or other things can change timelines. 

North of Christchurch, near the Conway River bridge which is south of Kaikoura, a crash is blocking the southbound lane, so drivers should anticipate delays there also.

 The NZ Transport Agency advises anyone who can postpone travel through these points to do so until later in the morning.

• See the NZ Transport Agency's travel and traffic page here.
• Canterbury West Coast Twitter updates twitter.com/NZTACWC
• Transport Agency Facebook South Island www.facebook.com/nztasouthisland
• Call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS 0800 44 44 49

M30 specification

1. Specification and guidelines for road lighting design
2. M30 Category V Subcategory selection tool (as at 14 July 2016)

Accepted luminaires

1. List of M30 accepted luminaires (as at 17 October 2016)List of M30 accepted luminaires (as at 28 June 2016)
2. M30 luminaire acceptance process (as at 31 August 2015)

Other documents

1. New LED vs new HPS PV analysis (14 September 2014)
2. Replace HPS with LED PV analysis (16 February 2016)
3. Leading with LEDs (November 2014)
4. Assessing the potential cost savings from accelerating the rollout of LED road lighting
5. Review on the likely impact of an uptake in LED road lighting

Some of the repairs will take up to five weeks to carry out and could cause delays of up to five minutes at each site, so road users are advised to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys. Our teams have planned the works to minimise travel delays.

'Improving drainage protects the road from damage from things such as potholes, slips and erosion which makes travelling on the highway smoother and also reduces the need for ongoing maintenance which is costly and can be disruptive for road users,' says Brett Gliddon the Transport Agency’s Northland Highway Manager.

Work is already underway on State Highway 1 through the Awanui township. Drainage clearing is expected to take three weeks before road surface repairs are carried out. There will be a single lane closure throughout the work.

'The work is part of the NZ Transport Agency’s ongoing commitment to maintaining the reliability and safety of Northland’s highways for all road users and we thanks drivers for being patient while we carry out these improvements.'

Here is where you may need to plan your journey and leave earlier than normal prior to Christmas:

SH1 Brynderwyns – just south of Waipu Gorge Road

SH1 Western Hills Drive

SH12 Parore Rd

SH12 Whakapirau

SH1 North of Okaihau

SH1 Awanui

SH1 Mangamuka

Check the Transport Agency’s website: www.nzta.govt.nz for the latest highway information or sign up to www.onthemove.govt.nz for up-to-date information on what is happening on the route you plan to travel; Freephone 0800 4 HIGHWAYS for national and regional travel updates.

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Image		Item	Title	Description
Strategic case section
		Start		This process diagram is to step you through a thorough assessment of the resilience issues on your network, and where appropriate, to help you build a business case for investment. The assessment may have been initiated by a Point of Entry assessment, through an ILM process problem statement or other event.
		1	Select corridor	First, you must define the corridor that you are assessing, and gather core network data. You can find a selection of the key data you need here. It is important to define the start and end points of the corridor you are assessing, as it may influence the alternative routes that are available.
		2	Identify alternative routes	The significance of a resilience risk on the network is in part influenced by whether there are alternative routes that can be used should the corridor you are assessing becomes unavailable. If there are no reasonable* alternatives, a stronger case for further investment may exist. Our alternative routes tool is still in development, however, you can access the pilot tool here. Otherwise refer to the relevant NOC Emergency Procedures and Preparedness Plan for alternate routes and related information.
		3	Consider criticality of the route	The criticality framework is to help you determine the importance of your corridor, looking wider than just traffic volumes, by considering access to lifelines utilities and essential services needs.
		4	Hazard exposure scan	The national hazard exposure scan provides an assessment of key natural hazards (focussing on Low Frequency, High Impact events) that may impact the availability of the network, and includes an assessment of the extent and duration of the outage.
		5	Resilience risk priority	With an understanding of the natural hazards, the importance of the route and the availability of alternative routes you will have sufficient information to determine whether there is a significant resilience problem and the justification to proceed to a programme business case to develop possible interventions.
Programme business case section
		6	Detailed data collection	The programme business case stage requires that a more thorough data collection and analysis is undertaken.
		6a	Low probability high impact events	This guide builds on the national hazard exposure scan methodology, and steps you through a process to undertake a more thorough assessment of resilience risk at the regional/corridor level. This guide focuses on the natural hazards which generally occur infrequently, but have a significant impact when they occur.
		6b	High probability low impact events	To complement the above, an assessment of the high probability events must also be undertaken. Information can be sourced from TREIS, and also from regional operational staff who have a history with network. This may include NoC and other contractors.
		7	Assess the level of service gap	The next step is to make an assessment of the current level of service that your network provides. Using this framework, you can determine whether there is a gap that needs to be closed by some sort of intervention.
		8	Develop and assess programme of options	If you determine there is a gap in the level of service your network provides, you need to develop and test a range of programmes of interventions to close the gap. The programme business case will guide you through the process of developing these programmes.
		8a	Economic assessment	You need to assess the economic impact of your proposed programmes. This tool MERIT, which supplements the standard EEM-based benefit-cost analysis, assesses the economic impact of a potential (or actual) network outage. It does this by predicting the regional and national GDP impact of a closure and/or diversion.
		8b	Social assessment	Similarly you should consider the impact on society if your link becomes inaccessible.  This tool provides a relative, non-dimensional assessment of a closure/diversion
		8c	Duty of care assessment
		9	Select preferred solution	You will now be able to select your preferred (or programme of) intervention(s), using MCA and the IAF to develop a nationally consistent profile.
		10	Reassess the level of service	It is worth reassessing your preferred intervention against the level of service framework to ensure that your invention will close the gap in level of service.  If there remain gaps, you need to consider returning to stage 8 to address remaining gaps.
		11	Incorporate into next planning or delivery processes	You are now ready to apply for funding to progress your intervention(s). Depending on the cost and nature of intervention, this can be done as a minor improvement or through a business case, emergency response plan or maintenance programmes.