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Part 3 – Road Works

3.3    Road Classification

The MPDC District Plan identifies significant roads (state highways, and regional arterials as identified in the Proposed Waikato Regional Policy Statement: Decisions Version, November 2012), arterial roads, and collector roads within Section 9.1.1. Roads not specifically listed in the District Plan are local roads.

Table 3.1 below provides some of the geometric and structural standards for the classifications. The Table distinguishes between collector and local roads based on indicative traffic volumes.


Table 3.1 (pdf, 100kb) classifies Collector and Local roads in accordance with the indicative traffic volumes and provides some of the geometric and structural standards for the classifications.

Standards for Table 3.1

  1. The compacted sub-grade for all private accesses or rights of way in this table shall have a CBR of no less than three to four at a depth of 250mm, otherwise pavement depth shall be increased or the sub-grade improved.

  2. The trafficable carriageway shall generally be located centrally within the road reserve or private access to enable future development including more seal width.

  3. The natural gradient along the access way within 10 m of the road boundary shall be less than 8%.

  4. All public no-exit roads shall have sufficient turning dimension to enable a 90 percentile car to enter and leave in a forward direction without reversing (See Figure 3A). The design dimensions should be sufficient to enable a 90 percentile two axle truck (HGV) to undertake a three-point turn (See Figure 3B).

  5. Construction of a road or access servicing four or more allotments, or two or more activities, shall have sufficient road reserve width to:  
    • Accommodate any retaining structure or slope necessary to support the road or adjacent property, and
    • Achieve a complying horizontal alignment, and
    • Accommodate any turning area required by these standards, and
    • Service the traffic generation from non-residential activities likely to use the access, and
    • Include passing bays on ROWs, where necessary having regard to topography of land, sight distances and usage, and
    • Either
      • Include an area at the end of a private right of way/access to allow for a 90 percentile car to enter and leave in a forward direction without revising reversing onto the public road; or:
      • When manoeuvring within a lot, demonstrate that a 90 percentile car can enter and leave in a forward direction without reversing onto a public road, by using land unobstructed by existing or future buildings,. and
    • Accommodate utility services.

  6. Traffic volume – as a guideline allow for 8 vpd / hu (hu = household unit).

  7. All Rural and Rural Residential ROWs/Private access shall provide a passing bay every 200 m, or subject to specific design.

  8. No ROW or private access shall serve more than six allotments.

  9. Cul-de-sac = a road having the same exit and entry location off another road with no potential for future extension of the road.

  10. The maximum length of an access strip or a private way shall be 1,000 m.  No access lot or private way shall serve more than six allotments and if three or more lots are served then the access lot or private way shall be sealed.