SH2 winter works: Looking ahead between Waihī Beach and Ōmokoroa

SH2/Sharp Rd intersection upgrade is complete. Photo / NZTA

Roger Brady is NZTA regional manager of maintenance and operations

OPINION

As the days grow shorter and cooler, now is a great opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved this year and highlight what to expect as you travel through our work sites during the mid-year period.

Winter limits some of the work we can do – anything requiring warm temperatures, like road sealing, is deferred, while other activities like planting, roundabout layouts, median barrier and signage installation are full steam ahead.

Most recently we have completed intersection upgrade number four – the roundabout at SH2/Sharp Rd. We’d like to thank local residents especially, for your support and patience through this work. Now that we’re done here, we can install median barriers connecting the first four roundabouts.

In the meantime, our construction crew has moved on to work at Apata Curves, where they’re busy widening the road and preparing to start work on the fifth roundabout on the project.

More than 10km of resurfacing took place during summer between Bethlehem and Athenree. We have been fortunate with several spells of fine weather, which meant teams pushed through this ambitious programme. We understand road works have been frustrating for some drivers, but making the most of the warm weather means our roads will be stronger and more resilient for longer.

We are seeing good progress with installing a median barrier through Athenree Gorge – one of the high-risk sections along this stretch of SH2. It has had some recent serious and fatal crashes.

The work at Athenree Gorge is a good insight into how the rest of the state highway will look as we get stuck into the next part of the median barrier installation south of Katikati. Our teams are starting on 8km of median barriers between Wharawhara Rd and Morton Rd from mid-2024.

Once complete, this work will mean a much safer journey along this section of SH2. As with most barrier installations, some people’s journeys will change. We understand this isn’t convenient for them – but this is about the safety of everyone using the road. Reducing right turns will also improve overall traffic flow and journey times.

Safety barriers save lives. Crashes at intersections and from vehicles crossing the centreline are the main cause of deaths and serious injuries on this section of SH2. Barriers elsewhere on this section of SH2 have been struck 47 times since being installed in 2020.

All of these changes work together to increase the overall safety of the corridor, but as drivers, we all have a role to play when it comes to safe journeys – especially over the winter months.