Route
This is the route that SH3 takes in 2007.
The highway leaves SH1 at Hamilton, and initially heads south through farmland, passing through Te Awamutu. Sections of this stretch of the road are four-laned, but not divided carriageway. From Otorohanga it follows the valley of the Waipa River to Te Kuiti. The road then turns southwest through sparsely settled farmland, crossing several ridges before following the Awakino gorge to reach the coast, which it follows around the North Taranaki Bight. At the Tongaporutu River the highway turns inland to avoid coastal cliffs and climbs over Mount Messenger before descending via the Mimi River valley to return to the coast near Urenui. Bypassing Waitara, it reaches New Plymouth then turns inland, passing to the east of Mount Taranaki via Inglewood, Stratford and Eltham to Hawera.
From Hawera the highway follows the coast of the South Taranaki Bight southeastwards to Patea and Wanganui before meeting State Highway 1 again at Bulls. Highways 1 and 3 share their route for 6 km as they cross the Rangitikei River to Sanson, where Highway 3 continues southeast towards Palmerston North. After crossing the Manawatu River, the route follows its south bank through the Manawatu Gorge to its terminus and junction with State Highway 2 at Woodville in the Wairarapa.
Both the Awakino and Manawatu gorges are prone to closure by slips and rockslides in heavy rain.
Read more about this topic: New Zealand State Highway 3
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