Black spot roadworks delayed for 10 years

Life-saving roadworks on a notorious stretch of highway south of Auckland have been delayed 10 years because of red tape and funding issues.

A draft plan for the future of the country's roading network is due to be released tomorrow and puts off changes to State Highway 2 at Maramarua.

Work on the Mangatawhiri stretch where 12 people have died in five years is hoped to begin this October but changes at Maramarua, where eight people have died in that time, are still years off.

It has brought an angry outburst from National's transport spokesman Maurice Williamson.

"Every year we wait we are having people killed."

In the past five years, 39 people have died on State Highway 2 between the Pokeno turn-off and the Thames-Coromandel turn-off at State Highway 25.

Three people have already died on the stretch this year, and another three were seriously injured in a car crash last weekend.

Chris Allen, Transit regional manager, said the crash rate and seriousness of injuries on the 35km stretch was above average.

But he said work at Maramarua was probably a decade off.

Mr Allen said Transit's 10-year plan put the work at Maramarua "towards the end of that 10-year plan".

Passing lanes and other changes to the road are planned in the meantime, in the hope of improving safety in the area.

Transit first has to apply to councils to get the designation of the land changed, buy the land, develop the plans, put the plans out for consultation, apply for resource consents and eventually ask Land Transport NZ for money.

Don Shanks, chief fire officer of the Mangatangi Volunteer Fire Brigade, said he was frustrated with the repeated crashes on the road. He said drivers were at fault and changes to the road needed to be made to compensate for errors.

Transit, police, Land Transport NZ and the fire service will met this week to discuss measures that can be introduced quickly.

Transit has made $3m available to make immediate changes, including a billboard campaign, removing power poles and trees from the road edge and putting audible markers on the road.

It is also considering lowering the speed limit over the 35km stretch of road - something which police have supported.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY