Ata Armstrong, who has lived by the SH30 junction for 40 years, says it is a nightmare and likes the idea of a roundabout. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua residents who live near the Whakatāne turnoff say the intersection is a "bloody nightmare" and agree something needs to be done.
A new roundabout could be the solution to curbing the number of crashes and near-misses in the area.
Last week Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency announced a roundabout will be built at the busy Te Ngae Rd Junction, better known as the Whakatāne turnoff.
It said $6.4 million had been secured to build it at the State Highway 30/SH33 intersection and the work was part of a project to reduce deaths on the country's roads.
After a 2020 speed review a stretch of road on SH33 down to the Rotorua Airport was lowered to 80km/h and last year the speed was lowered at the junction from 80km/h to a variable 60km/h.
Between 2016 and 2020, five people lost their lives or were seriously injured at this intersection. Most of the crashes were caused by vehicles turning right, cars travelling too fast and poor visibility, Waka Kotahi said.
Ata Armstrong has lived on the corner of SH30 for the past 40 years.
She and her husband have witnessed one fatality and many bad accidents and near misses and said something needed to be done.
"It's a bloody nightmare."
She hoped the roundabout would slow traffic down: "everyone is racing past, they don't take any notice of the speed limit."
Rangiteaorere Rd resident Anita Marsters has been able to see the busy intersection from her home.
She and her husband thought the roundabout was a good idea.
"The traffic along here gets quite crazy, we've had a few accidents out here.
"There's been some big ones, hopefully, the roundabout slows things down a lot."
She was certain there were drivers that drove above the limit, some going more what she figured would be 120km/h.
"That's when accidents happen."
Being so close to the intersection, it was the residents who were first on the scene of any big crash.
An incident a few years ago sticks in her family's minds: A motorbike and vehicle collided, resulting in the bike bursting into flames.
Her husband and neighbour heard the accident happen and rushed to the scene.
"It was terrible.
"The first thought is, 'I hope they are okay'."
While she had not been home for any major crash, her husband had.
"He gets all worried and asks, 'where are you?'. For us, it's more about the kids. It's not stuff you are wanting them to hear and see."
She did not know what the right solution for the issue was, but said the roundabout was "a solution".
Part of the roundabout plans was to introduce a cycle path along Rangiteaorere Rd.
Marsters said this made sense given cyclists already utilised their road to get away from the traffic.
Marsters' neighbour Mathew Landers has lived there for 12 years and has seen numerous accidents in that time.
He thought the roundabout was a good idea and thought there had been plenty of opportunities to be involved with plans during consultation and meetings.
Samuel Lomas has lived all his life in Rotorua and also witnessed a motorbike crash a few years ago.
As they approached the intersection, they saw one motorcycle lying on the road on fire.
"The motorcyclist was on his back unconscious with some people around him and a very smashed-up car."
He also thought the roundabout was a good idea but thought it was expensive.
He used the intersection twice a week and said while the roundabout may be "overkill", sometimes people just won't follow the speed limit.
Local resident Renee Kiriona said the area was her home. It was where she was raised and where she would die.
And while she knew residents would want to improve road safety, she did not think these plans were it.
"Of course, we want a safer community, I just don't know if the roundabout is the silver bullet."
She hoped it would help but said it looked like "a waste of money".
"I think there are other things they could have done to make it safer."
Her mother owned several properties in the area and she said Waka Kotahi had explained it wanted to do something to improve safety at the intersection.
She thought there were other measures and designs that would have cost less money.
Kiriona said the lack of speed signs was a factor in people's speed.
She did hope the roundabout would slow traffic down. She also thought there needed to be the inclusion of mātauranga Māori in the design, given the history of the area.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency infrastructure delivery regional manager Jo Wilton responded to Kiriona's concerns.
She explained the agency undertook engagement with stakeholders and the wider community in 2018.
This included open days, one-on-one meetings with landowners and newsletters.
"Strong community support was shown for improvements at the intersection, with concerns raised about speed and poor visibility."
Funding was sought in 2020 and approved to develop potential options to improve safety at the intersection.
Three roundabout designs were developed.
These options were shared with project partners and stakeholders including Ngāti Rangiteaorere, Ngāti Tuteniu, Uenukukōpako, Rotorua Lakes Council, affected landowners, the Rotorua cycling action group and freight organisations including Rotorua Forest Haulage, Freight Transport Association and Heavy Haulage Association, she said.
But concerns with the initial designs included the Rotorua cycling action group raising worries around safe access to the intersection for people on bicycles, as well vehicle speeds and poor visibility at the SH30/SH33 Te Ngae Junction and Rangiteaorere Rd intersections.
"The feedback was taken into consideration and a bypass was created on Rangiteaorere Rd for people heading north on bicycles, safely separating them from vehicles at the roundabout."
The reduced vehicle speeds and road shoulders as vehicles approached the intersection will also make it safer for people on bikes coming from other directions to take the lane at the roundabout and then join the shoulder again when exiting, she said.
Detailed studies were undertaken as well as a staged approach to addressing concerns raised.
Rural Intersection Activated Warning Signs (RIAWS) were installed last year that reduced the speed limit on the state highway from 80km/h to 60km/h when vehicles make turning movements. Wilton said this was an interim safety treatment until the roundabout was built.
No other concerns were raised during engagement about the proposed roundabout and other safety improvements, she said.
It was decided the current plan was within the cost limit range and was the safest form of intersection control.
It beat other ideas such as RIAWS and a signalised intersection.
Wilton said roundabouts reduce approach speeds and help allow traffic from side roads to access the highway, and significantly reduced head-on and side-impact crashes when mistakes are made.
"Due to the high number of death and serious injury crashes occurring here, the SH33 Te Ngae Junction has been classified as high-risk and we know improving safety at this intersection will save lives."
Waka Kotahi NZTA said it had worked closely with representatives from Ngāti Rangiteaorere, Ngāti Tuteniu, Uenukukōpako and Rotorua Lakes Council throughout the design process, and spoken with residents affected by this project.
Construction is expected to start mid-year and is scheduled to be completed by early next year.
Boxing Day shoppers in Rotorua and Tauranga are happy to be spending.