New Zealand State Highway 49

State Highway 49
Route information
Maintained by New Zealand Transport Agency
Length:	36.2 km (22.5 mi)
Major junctions
Northwest end:	20px SH 4 at Tohunga Junction
Southeast end:	SH 1 at Waiouru
Location
Primary destinations:	Ohakune
Highway system
New Zealand state highways Motorways and expressways List Unused ← x20px SH 48 SH 50 →

State Highway 49 is a New Zealand State Highway, linking State Highway 4 and State Highway 1, via the tourist town of Ohakune. It forms the southern part of the ring road surrounding Tongariro National Park, and provides access to the southern side of Mount Ruapehu and the Turoa skifield.

State Highway 49, along with State Highways 4, 47, and 46, is used as an alternative route to State Highway 1's Desert Road, and is well used when the Desert Road is closed due to snow.

State Highway 49 lies entirely within the Ruapehu District.

Route

File:NZ-Ohakune-mainstreet.jpg

State Highway 49 passing through Ohakune.

File:Ohakunecarrot1b.jpg

Ohakune's famous giant carrot lies just off State Highway 49 at the eastern end of the township.

State Highway 49's bridge over the Whangaehu River at Tangiwai.

State Highway 49 runs northwest to southeast, and roughly follows the North Island Main Trunk railway.

State Highway 49 leaves SH 4 at Tohunga Junction, some eight kilometres north of Raetihi, and heads southeast across rolling hills to the tourist town of Ohakune. Following Ohakune's main street, the road continues southeast out of the township, passing Ohakune's famous giant carrot.

State Highway 49 continues southeast across rolling hills, running broadly in the same direction as the North Island Main Trunk. It passes the rural villages of Rangataua and Karioi, before meeting the railway line at the Whangaehu River at Tangiwai. The bridge here has flashing lighs and gates to block off the road in case of a lahar from Mount Ruapehu's crater lake. To the side of the bridge is the Tangiwai memorial, erected to remember the 151 people who died in the Tangiwai Disaster when a Wellington to Auckland express train plunged into the river following a lahar on 24 December 1953.

After crossing the Whangaehu River, and the railway line, SH 49 turns east for several kilometres, before turning south into Waiouru. At Waiouru, SH 49 ends at the intersection with State Highway 1.

Spur

State Highway 49 used to have one spur; State Highway 49A. It deviated from SH 49 at Ohakune, and ran west to Raetihi, where it terminated at State Highway 4. SH 49A was revoked in 1991-92.

Future

State Highway 49 has no major projects planned within the next ten years.

Major intersections

Territorial authority	Location	km	Destinations	Notes
Ruapehu District	Tohunga Junction	0	20px SH 4 north National Park	SH 49 begins
			20px SH 4 south Wanganui
	Ohakune		(Goldfinch Street) Turoa skifield
			(Raehiti Ohakune Road) Raetihi	Former SH 49A junction
	Tangiwai		Whangaehu River
	Waiouru	36	SH 1 north (Desert Road) Taupo	SH 49 ends
			SH 1 south Palmerston North

See also

• List of New Zealand State Highways