Residents surprised as 'quiet street' to become permanent SH1
Picton’s Kent St is to become the new State Highway 1, to the surprise of some of its residents.
New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has announced that Kent St, which has been a “de facto state highway” during ferry terminal works since 2023, is going to become officially SH1, with some improvements to suit.
The route bypasses the Nelson Square roundabout and central Picton, taking a more direct route towards the ferry terminal.
Kent St resident Pam Wharehoka, who had lived on the street since 1982, said it "used to be a quiet street".
"Hardly anyone came down [here], kids used to ride their bikes down here. [That] can't happen any more."
When the terminal works started and all the trucks started coming down the street, the children welcomed it, she said.
"The kids used to stand out there and [wave], and the drivers would give them a toot."
Kent St resident Pam Wharehoka says the street used to be quiet before it became the de facto State Highway 1. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)
The Interislander ferry terminal moved to Lagoon Rd in 2023, as part of wider works for the now-canned iReX ferry project to accommodate new, larger ferries.
NZTA regional manager of system design Richard Osborne said that ever since, all traffic accessing the ferry terminals had been going down Kent St.
“Kent St has been acting as the de facto state highway. This is one of the key aspects the Picton Road Network Improvements Project wants to address,” Osborne said.
Osborne said NZTA was required to send a Notice of Requirement to the Marlborough District Council to commandeer the council-owned road.
The road would be maintained by Marlborough Roads, which was responsible for both council-owned roads and NZTA state highways.
Kent St resident Sue Letchford saidthe announcement was a long time coming.
“Well, it's been coming for years, but it’s still pretty horrible,” Letchford said.
As the new SH1, Kent St will be upgraded to support greater traffic. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)
Letchford said she was worried about the safety of students from Picton School, which backed onto Kent St.
NZTA said the zebra crossing currently outside of the school to “ensure it’s located where people would naturally cross the road”.
The agency said it would work with the Marlborough District Council to install a variable speed limit by the school, with a lower speed limit in place during peak school time.
Picton School declined to comment on the changes.
NZTA plans to move the zebra crossing opposite Picton School and give the area a variable speed limit. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)
Letchford said she was pleased that the roads would be upgraded to support the increase in traffic.
“Kent St is all right, but Oxford St gets ripped out... constantly.”
Kent St residents had previously complained that the increase in trucks was noisy and “smashing up” the road, which required “major reconstruction”.
Kent St resident Linda Andrell said the sounds of the trucks was just white noise to her.
“I’ve been here a few years now so I don’t even [hear it]. Maybe at about 10 o’clock at night you might notice it.”
Dean Humphrey said the news was “good and bad”.
“We’re talking about the [street] parking here ... We're going to be up at the library and have a talk to them about it,” Humphrey said, referring to drop-in sessions planned for next week.
State Highway 1 is to be rerouted down Kent St, along the yellow dotted line. (Source: Supplied / NZTA)
The sessions were to be held at Picton Library and Service Centre Waitohi Whare Mātauranga on June 17 and 18.
Work on the planned upgrades was to start mid-next year.
By Kira Carrington, Local Democracy Reporter
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Get Insurance Now
