New Zealand State Highway 44
Encyclopedia
State Highway 44 is a 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...

 State Highway
New Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...

. It is the newest highway on the network and at 5.2 km it is one of the shortest. Its entire length is within the New Plymouth city area.

History

SH44 was created in response to an increase in truck traffic between SH3 and Port Taranaki
Port Taranaki
Port Taranaki is located at New Plymouth, New Zealand. It is the only deep water port on the west coast of New Zealand, and is owned by the Taranaki Regional Council...

 and the resulting damage being caused to the preferred route (Breakwater Rd/St Aubyn St/Molesworth St). Initially Transit New Zealand
Transit New Zealand
Transit New Zealand was, from 1989 to 2008, the New Zealand Crown entity responsible for operating and planning the New Zealand State Highway network...

 was opposed to taking on the road as part of the highway network (making it responsible for the maintenance rather than the New Plymouth District Council) as for much of the route SH45 is less than 200m away and runs in parallel. However as SH45 is a hillier route, uses the one-way network, and has a greater number of traffic lights insisting heavy vehicles use that route was not feasible and Transit eventually granted network status.

Route

This is the route taken by SH44 in 2008.
The highway leaves SH3 at the corners where Leach (westbound one-way) and Courtenay (eastbound one-way) Streets intersect with Eliot Street (north-south) just north-east of the New Plymouth CBD. This is the same place where SH45 also commences. It continues along Eliot St to Molesworth Street then west along this stretch of road, which in turn becomes St Aubyn Street then Breakwater Road. While it terminates at Port Taranaki both entrances to the port are part of SH44. The first is via Bayly Road and Ocean View Parade while the other is at the end of Breakwater Road.

See also

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