OPINION
Driving between Katikati and Tauranga continues to be a nightmare for most road users. The painful delays and unpredictability about how long a trip in either direction will take is causing heartache and havoc. Sadly, there’s no quick fix, but I will continue to push for a smoother allocation of the work so that disruption is kept to an absolute minimum.
The good news is that the Takitimu Northern Link Stage 2 development has been designated as a Road of National Significance in the recently released Government Policy Statement on transport. While it won’t happen overnight, Katikati and Western Bay residents can be assured that investing in this key transport route is a priority, and that when completed it will be a four-lane highway.
I’ve also heard from a lot of people who are unhappy with the safety measures implemented on SH2, particularly the median barriers between Katikati and Ōmokoroa. We won’t be undoing the work that has already been completed or stopping the work under commercial contract, but I’m hopeful the third stage can be halted. Moreover, while we recognise that speed is a contributing factor to road safety, we won’t be continuing the previous Government’s blanket speed reductions. We’ll take a more balanced approach that takes into account the views of local communities.