SH2 roadworks: Next up, preparation for median barriers in Athenree Gorge

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi regional manager of maintenance and operations/Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Roger Brady.

OPINION

As we head into the cooler months, it’s a good time to reflect on the progress made over summer on the SH2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa corridor.

We’ve had around 70 local people working up and down the corridor, taking advantage of the drier weather and longer daylight hours. The team has ticked off plenty of milestones over the past few months. We appreciate the efforts our crews have made, enabling this important work to be completed.

Some of the highlights are:

• Completion of the Lockington/Matahui Roads roundabout at the end of 2023.
• Near-completion at Sharp Road roundabout site with a new road layout, traffic islands, drainage and signage - the finishing touches on this will be made in the coming weeks.
• Almost five weeks’ work has taken place on night shifts, which has reduced some of the disruption during the day.
• Work is under way on the Apata Station Road roundabout.
• Our maintenance crew have completed three-quarters of the 20 sites on SH2, improving their overall condition.

As we head towards winter, the team is focused on Athenree Gorge, where we’re preparing for the installation of median barriers. These barriers work by flexing when struck, absorbing most of the energy from the impact, and keeping your vehicle upright while preventing you from hitting roadside obstacles or being deflected into another lane.

With the road safety improvements approaching completion, drivers may want to travel more quickly through the newly sealed sections, even though traffic management and temporary speed limits are still in place. But there is a good reason for reduced speed limits. Once the bitumen is sprayed and new chip (stones) is spread onto it, it takes a few days for the chip to settle into the bitumen. Once this has happened, the loose chip is swept away, line marking is reinstated, and only then can speed reductions be removed.

If we remove the temporary speed limit too soon, we risk damaging the seal, which can then flick up and damage the vehicles travelling over it. The new seal also has reduced grip during this embedding phase increasing the risk of skidding at a higher speed.

Now that the clocks have gone back an hour, it is also a good opportunity to do a quick once-over of your car before winter sets in. Check your brakes and tyres (including the spare), and your head and taillights. It’s also a good idea to have an old hoodie, a waterproof tarpaulin or something similar in the boot. You’ll be pleased you prepared if you have to change a flat tyre in the pouring rain!

Thank you once again for your patience and understanding while we get this important project finished.

Roger Brady is the regional manager of maintenance and operations/Waikato and Bay of Plenty for New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.