In today’s headlines with Chereè Kinnear, New Zealand tourist tragically killed in a California robbery, the Government’s plans for the housing market and voting to open in the UK.
Work on installing median barriers to prevent right-hand turns on State Highway 2 between Waihī and Ōmokoroa is going ahead as planned.
In response to community unease about the median barrier installation, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said it had paused the work “to consider concerns” raised by residents in the area.
Residents of roads adjacent to SH2 are strongly opposed to the median barriers going ahead.
They will prevent right-hand turns on to residential roads including Work Rd and Lund Rd – meaning “another 7km ” of travel, Mike Williams, a former Western Bay of Plenty District councillor and resident of a Work Rd side road, said.
In recent weeks, locals have been vocal about their thoughts on the roading project.
SH2 side road residents, Gino de Graaf, left, Mike Williams and Kirsten Warbooke at the Lund Rd/ SH2 intersection which will be impacted by median barrier installation. Photo / John Borren
NZTA issued a warning about this saying, by doing this, “people are risking their own lives and the lives of other motorists on the road. This is an 80km/h zone and, in the dark, drivers are unlikely to see someone standing on the road until it’s too late.
“It could cost lives”.
NZTA’s regional relationships director David Speirs said the decision had now been made to proceed as planned with the installation of median barrier on the 1.4km section between Morton Rd and Aongatete River bridge to take place over the next few weeks.
“We understand that convenience and travel time are important to people as they move about and appreciate that there are concerns for emergency service vehicle access and community connections.
“This project has undergone several stages of public and stakeholder consultation, including open days, meetings with landowners, hui with iwi and conversations with emergency services.”
Speirs said feedback and suggestions from the community were incorporated where practical.
He said safety improvements between Waihī and Ōmokoroa were 75% complete, with four of six roundabouts built, and the fifth in construction, providing safe turnaround areas ahead of barriers being installed, with 3.8km of median barriers already installed north of Katikati.
Photos from the June 9 protest. Photo / Mike Williams.
“Every day, 15,000 vehicles travel along this road – and that figure is growing by around 2-3% each year.
“The installation of flexible median barriers, combined with the improvement works already undertaken, are aimed at reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on this section of SH2 by 75%.”
Speirs said everybody travelling on SH2 deserved to get where they were going safely.
“There will be adequate space between the guardrail at the edge of the road and the barrier in the centre, allowing room for emergency services to get past in an emergency and to make u-turns where there are gaps in the barrier.
“Fewer serious crashes will also mean fewer road closures for SH2 users in the future.”
The SH2 protest. Photo / Michaela Barratt
‘Unacceptable behaviour’ reported to police
“Following vandalism of SH2 recently, last week, one of our crew was confronted by a member of the public who drove between the cones and parked in the work zone and was abusive and aggressive,” Speirs said.
“This, and several other examples of unacceptable behaviour, have been reported to police.
“We ask that road users respect the crew as they get on with the job. You don’t have to agree with us, but the online and onsite treatment our staff and contractors have faced is not acceptable.”
