Northland road safety campaigners have welcomed plans to bypass the Brynderwyns and four-lane State Highway One from Whangarei to Te Hana.
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) announced last week that the Brynderwyn Hills may be bypassed by State Highway 1, but a tunnel under the hills has been ruled out because of cost.
Feedback is being sought on options for upgrading SH1, south of Whangarei, including bypassing the Brynderwyns and four-laning the highway to Te Hana.
Options include upgrading the existing road to a four-lane expressway, upgrading the existing highway for southbound traffic and building two new lanes to the west for northbound traffic, or building a new four-lane expressway either to the west or east of the existing highway. The proposed options for the wider route between Whangarei and Te Hana are predicted to save 280 lives over 30 years.
Two options for a bypass of the Brynderwyn Hills are also being looked at. A bypass will provide greater resilience, improved safety and will reduce the cost of travel, particularly for heavy vehicles using this section of SH1, NZTA says.