State Highway 17 (New Zealand)

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.

History

SH17 was originally State Highway 1 before the extension of the Northern Motorway 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. 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.

See also

• List of New Zealand State Highways
• List of roads and highways, for notable or famous roads worldwide

External links

• Transit New Zealand