State Highway 4 (New Zealand)

Last updated

State Highway 4 NZ.svg
State Highway 4
NZ-SH4 map.png
Route information
Maintained by NZ Transport Agency
Length237 km (147 mi)
Major junctions
North endState Highway 3 NZ.svg SH 3 at Eight Mile Junction (11 km (6.8 mi) south of Te Kūiti)
South endState Highway 3 NZ.svg SH 3 at Whanganui
Location
Country New Zealand
Primary
destinations
Taumarunui, National Park, Raetihi
Highway system
State Highway 3 NZ.svg SH 3 State Highway 5 NZ.svg SH 5

State Highway 4 is the shortest of New Zealand's eight national highways. It runs north-south across rugged hill country, forming a short cut between two points on State Highway 3 thereby avoiding Taranaki and the coasts of the North and South Taranaki Bights. Distances are measured from north to south.

Contents

For most of its length SH4 is a two-lane single carriageway, with at-grade intersections and property accesses, both in rural and urban areas. The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) classifies SH 4 as a primary collector road, except between National Park (SH 47) and Tohunga Junction (SH 49) where it is classified an arterial road. [1]

Route

The highway commences from a junction on SH 3 11 km south of Te Kūiti. It heads south-southeast, climbing initially, then descending along the winding valleys of the Ōhura and Ongarue Rivers, two tributaries of the Whanganui. The Ongarue joins the Whanganui close to Taumarunui, and here the highway turns east briefly, ascending the Whanganui's valley before turning south to skirt the North Island Volcanic Plateau. The peaks of the plateau's volcanoes are clearly visible from the highway, especially that of the southernmost, Ruapehu.

At Horopito the highway veers southwest briefly, following a tributary of the Mangawhero River until it joins with this river near Raetihi. The highway continues to descend the Mangawhero's valley to within 40 km of its mouth, then heads west across rolling hill country to the valley of the Whanganui River, which it follows for the last 15 km of its journey into Whanganui.

Major junctions

Territorial authority LocationkmmiDestinationsNotes
Waitomo District Eight Mile Junction00.0State Highway 3 NZ.svg SH 3 north – Hamilton
State Highway 3 NZ.svg SH 3 south – New Plymouth
SH 4 begins
Ruapehu District Taumarunui 7043State Highway 43 NZ.svg SH 43 (Kururau Road) – Stratford
Manunui 7748State Highway 41 NZ.svg SH 41Tūrangi
National Park 11471State Highway 47 NZ.svg SH 47Tūrangi
Tohunga Junction14087State Highway 49 NZ.svg SH 49Ohakune, Waiouru
Whanganui District Putiki237147State Highway 3 NZ.svg SH 3 north – Whanganui, New Plymouth
State Highway 3 NZ.svg SH 3 south – Palmerston North
SH 4 ends

See also

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References

  1. "One Network Road Classification: North Island State Highways" (PDF). New Zealand Transport Agency. Retrieved 25 January 2019.