The southbound Rakaia commercial vehicle safety centre is officially operational, as of 26 June.

Heavy vehicles will be screened by the static cameras and in-road weigh-in-motion (WIM) scales on State Highway 1 and may be required to pull into the site. The Police Commercial Vehicle Safety Team  will be onsite and enforcing as required.

Site information

The site is located off SH1 Rakaia, on North Rakaia Road.

About 2km before the site there are in-road weigh-in-motion scales and number plate recognition cameras, which screen heavy vehicles for compliance and risk.

If a truck is flagged, VMS 1km further down the road will display its licence plate, signalling the driver to pull into the centre.

The VMS may also say All Heavy Vehicle Stop – if this is displayed all heavy vehicles are required to pull into the centre.

While a truck is on site CVST might also carry out more compliance checks, such as checking for RUC, Certificate of Fitness, logbooks and worktime, drug, and alcohol impairment, or completing a vehicle inspection.

The on-site weigh bridge is still going through remediation and will not be operational on 26 June. NZTA Waka Kotahi is working to ensure this is operational as soon as possible.

Police will still have the ability to enforce on weight on-site.

Construction on the northbound site will start soon and will open next year.

Speed changes on SH1 Rakaia

There are new speed limits on SH1 Rakaia to make it safer and easier for people travelling in this area.

The speed limit through Rakaia has changed from 70km/h to 50km/h.

The speed limit from Rakaia over Rakaia River Bridge and railway overpass to just north of Weavers Road has changed from 100km/h to 80km/h.

NZTA has also installed an intersection speed zone (ISZ) on SH1 at North Rakaia Road that changes the speed limit to 60 km/h when people are turning left out of North Rakaia Road.

Another ISZ will be installed on Weavers Road once the northbound CVSC is open.