Major Hawke's Bay road safety projects to start this summer

Watchman Rd roundabout in Napier is the main NZTA roading project that is happening in the region at the moment, tentatively scheduled for completion in February next year. Photo/Duncan Brown.

No Hawke's Bay roads have been identified among the Government's fast-tracked safety improvements to regional state highways, but work is progressing on three major upgrades planned for next year.

At the weekend Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter announced a targeted $22.5 million work programme to add a range of low-cost safety improvements to make high-risk sections of 30 regional state highways safer.

Situated across Northland, Taranaki, Manawatū-Whanganui, Canterbury, Otago and Southland, the improvements would include rumble strips, signage and safety barriers on rural roads where there was a real risk of death and serious injuries.

"Many deaths and injuries can be avoided on these roads by making some relatively simple changes. For example, we know rumble strips can reduce all crashes by around 25 per cent and fatal run-off-road crashes by up to 42 per cent," she said.

"Despite what many people think, improving road safety is not just about getting people to drive better. It's also about making our roads much safer, so that when people make mistakes lives aren't lost. On too many of our roads a simple error, such as taking a corner too fast or being momentarily distracted, can be fatal."

The investment was additional to the previously allocated $600m Safe Roads and Roadsides Programme, scheduled to be spent over six years, also on rural state highways.
Three main projects were in the pipeline in Hawke's Bay, the first due to start construction in January/February next year.

On SH2 between Pakipaki and Waipukurau, $17m had been set aside to widen road shoulders, install rumble strips, median barriers and side barriers, as well as realignment and passing improvements.

In its September 2017 update the New Zealand Transport Authority said 13 people died and 62 were seriously injured on this road between 2006 and 2015.

"Most of these crashes happened when drivers lost control and drove off the road or crossed the centreline and hit an oncoming vehicle."

Between 7000 and 10,000 vehicles travelled the 38km stretch of highway each day.

Also due to begin construction midway through summer next year are similar improvements on SH2 between Wairoa and Bay View.

In the 10 years to 2015, 21 people died and 56 were seriously injured on this stretch of road, and about 2000 vehicles travelled the entire 104km route each day, with up to 9000 using the Bay View end.

Work on this road, estimated to cost about $7m, also involved widening the sealed shoulder, installing rumble strips and roadside barriers and creating a wide centreline in some areas to keep traffic apart.

The final $8.5m project was the SH50 Hawke's Bay Expressway, which would receive similar improvements.

Design work was under way, due to be finalised early next year, with construction set to start in autumn.

Ms Genter said on top of the short-term investment, the Government would further increase funding for road safety improvements as the overall transport budget was revised.

"The Government will hold a road safety summit early next year so that we can hear directly from councils about the barriers to and opportunities for improving road safety," she said.