New Zealand State Highway 17
Encyclopedia
State Highway 17 is a 32 kilometre stretch of highway in the North Island
of New Zealand
. It links State Highway 1 at Puhoi
and State Highway 1 at Albany
. Its main destinations are the towns of (from north to south) Waiwera
, Orewa
, Red Beach
, Whangaparaoa, Dairy Flat
and the suburb of Albany
.
in the late 1990s. Between December 1999 and January 2009, State Highway 17 ran from present-day Exit 412 at Greville Road north through Albany and Dairy Flat to the interchange of SH1, SH1A and SH17 at Silverdale (Exit 398), where it terminated. Drivers could continue ahead on SH1 to Silverdale, Whangaparaoa Peninsula and Orewa, turn left onto the SH1A Expressway through to Orewa or turn right onto the Northern Motorway (SH1) to Auckland.
When the Northern Gateway toll road opened on January 25, 2009, SH1's old route (as well as SH1A) became obsolete, and SH17 has extended to replace it, although this extension has not been signposted.
After crossing the Orewa River SH17 arrives at Red Beach, where the driver may choose to turn left at either Red Beach Road or Whangaparaoa Road to Whangaparaoa and other peninsula suburbs or continue to Silverdale and Auckland
. Further on, just outside Silverdale, is the intersection with East Coast Road, a third route into the city via Urban Route 25. Almost a kilometre after this is the interchange (Exit 398) with State Highway 1 and the Northern Motorway/Northern Gateway. From here SH17 is signposted right through to the city.
SH17 continues through mostly rural countryside from Exit 398 through to Albany township, passing through Dairy Flat in the process. Just outside Albany, the surface quality of the highway is increased and Botts' dots
replace painted lines on the road at the intersection with the Coatesville-Riverhead Highway. As the road enters Albany it becomes the Albany Expressway, running through the township until it meets the Albany Highway, whereupon it becomes a dual carriageway through to its terminus at Greville Road.
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It links State Highway 1 at Puhoi
Puhoi
Puhoi is a settlement located approximately 50 km north of Auckland, New Zealand. Puhoi is probably a Maori word which may be translated as "Slow water"....
and State Highway 1 at Albany
Albany, New Zealand
Albany is a northern suburb of Auckland, one of the several cities in northern New Zealand. The name derives from Alba and its Latinisation. It is located to the north of the Waitemata Harbour, 15 kilometres northwest of the Auckland city centre. The suburb is in the Albany ward, one of the...
. Its main destinations are the towns of (from north to south) Waiwera
Waiwera
Waiwera is a locality situated in the north of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. The name is of Māori origin and means "Hot Water" . Its main claim to fame are the hot water springs which were well-known in pre-European times and reputedly visited by Māori from as far away as Thames...
, Orewa
Orewa
Orewa, a town in New Zealand's North Island lies on the Hibiscus Coast, just north of the base of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and 40 kilometres north of central Auckland. Orewa's population was 7,326 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 1,692 from 2001. It is a popular holiday destination...
, Red Beach
Red Beach
Red Beach is a suburb and beach on the Hibiscus Coast, Orewa, New Zealand. State Highway 1 runs through the suburb, but the majority of traffic travels along the Northern motorway inland instead, and the motorway will be redesignated as State Highway 1 when an extension is complete in 2009.The...
, Whangaparaoa, Dairy Flat
Dairy Flat
Dairy Flat is a rural district 8 km south of Orewa beach in the North Island of New Zealand, 28 km north of central Auckland. Until the early 1990s most of the district was in dairy farms of 40 to 60 hectares , but with the growth of Auckland City and the extension of the Northern...
and the suburb of Albany
Albany, New Zealand
Albany is a northern suburb of Auckland, one of the several cities in northern New Zealand. The name derives from Alba and its Latinisation. It is located to the north of the Waitemata Harbour, 15 kilometres northwest of the Auckland city centre. The suburb is in the Albany ward, one of the...
.
History
SH17 was originally State Highway 1 before the extension of the Northern MotorwayAuckland Northern Motorway
The Auckland Northern Motorway is a major motorway in the Auckland Region of New Zealand, linking central Auckland City and Puhoi in the Rodney District, via the Hibiscus Coast and North Shore...
in the late 1990s. Between December 1999 and January 2009, State Highway 17 ran from present-day Exit 412 at Greville Road north through Albany and Dairy Flat to the interchange of SH1, SH1A and SH17 at Silverdale (Exit 398), where it terminated. Drivers could continue ahead on SH1 to Silverdale, Whangaparaoa Peninsula and Orewa, turn left onto the SH1A Expressway through to Orewa or turn right onto the Northern Motorway (SH1) to Auckland.
When the Northern Gateway toll road opened on January 25, 2009, SH1's old route (as well as SH1A) became obsolete, and SH17 has extended to replace it, although this extension has not been signposted.
Route
State Highway 17 begins at the junction of State Highway 1 and itself just south of Puhoi, at Exit 388. While SH17 officially runs from here to its southern terminus at Greville Road, it is not signposted until its original terminus at Silverdale. SH17 winds over the Johnstone Hills and down into the town of Waiwera, famed for its thermal pools. From here becomes the Hibiscus Coast Highway and continues along the hills, coming down into Hatfields Beach and over another hill into Orewa township.After crossing the Orewa River SH17 arrives at Red Beach, where the driver may choose to turn left at either Red Beach Road or Whangaparaoa Road to Whangaparaoa and other peninsula suburbs or continue to Silverdale and Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. Further on, just outside Silverdale, is the intersection with East Coast Road, a third route into the city via Urban Route 25. Almost a kilometre after this is the interchange (Exit 398) with State Highway 1 and the Northern Motorway/Northern Gateway. From here SH17 is signposted right through to the city.
SH17 continues through mostly rural countryside from Exit 398 through to Albany township, passing through Dairy Flat in the process. Just outside Albany, the surface quality of the highway is increased and Botts' dots
Botts' dots
Botts' dots are round nonreflective raised pavement markers. In many U.S. states and in several other countries, Botts' dots are used to mark lanes on highways and arterial roads. They provide tactile feedback to drivers when they move across designated travel lanes, and are analogous to rumble...
replace painted lines on the road at the intersection with the Coatesville-Riverhead Highway. As the road enters Albany it becomes the Albany Expressway, running through the township until it meets the Albany Highway, whereupon it becomes a dual carriageway through to its terminus at Greville Road.
See also
- List of New Zealand State Highways
- List of roads and highways, for notable or famous roads worldwide