At Aokautere, the highway intersects with the northern end of the Pahiatua Track, a local route over the northern foothills of the Tararua Ranges to the town of Pahiatua. This road is heavily trafficked in the event of the closure of the Manawatu Gorge due to slips. State Highway 57 between Aokautere and Ashhurst is then used to take traffic from State Highway 3 to the Pahiatua Track.