By Adam Burns of RNZ
There are worries motorists may disregard a new 50km/h speed limit on a major highway in the Mackenzie Basin that has been the site of several serious crashes, NZTA Waka Kotahi says.
The temporary speed limit was introduced on Tuesday along a section of State Highway 8′s Tekapo-Twizel highway for the remainder of the winter period.
The move follows a string of serious crashes along the same stretch of road in a matter of days, leaving a total of 24 people injured.
Nine people were hurt in a multi-vehicle crash on the shores of Lake Pukaki on Sunday.
The accident came only three days after two buses, carrying dozens of visitors from China, crashed and rolled within 100 metres of each other.
Fifteen people were taken to hospital following the crash.
Motorists who drove the road that morning said fog and black ice made conditions difficult to negotiate, with some believing conditions were too dangerous for the road to remain open.
Signs advising motorists of new temporary speed limits were put in place this week, along a 28km stretch of State Highway 8 between Simons Pass and Lake Ruataniwha, south of Twizel.
The speed limits will initially apply to east of Lake Pukaki to Lake Ruataniwha, past the State Highway 80-Mount Cook Rd turnoff.
An additional highway maintenance crew will also be put in place to grit the road.
NZTA Central South Island system manager Mark Piner said the agency had spoken with police about frustrated motorists disregarding the rules.
“We’re very aware of that,” he said.
“We’ve spoken to police about making sure they have a presence and that we can enforce it as reasonably as we can.
“It’s on us to make sure that the speed limits are appropriate to where the most risks are, in terms of bridges, shaded areas, etc.
“We’re trying to make these as less restrictive as we can.”
Piner said the speed limits would be reviewed and adjusted in the coming weeks, dependent on weather and road conditions.
Balancing public safety with ensuring the main lifeline route for local motorists and freight operators had been a consideration for the agency.
Piner said they could “manage the situation” with de-icing and gritting the roads.
Although conditions in the Mackenzie Basin had been extraordinary with increased levels of moisture, the agency was not ruling out similar measures along other alpine routes throughout the mainland.
“[Reducing speed limits] was another tool in the tool box which we may consider if we need to elsewhere,” Piner said.
He implored motorists to familiarise themselves with road conditions they may encounter.
“With the number of tourists increasing, they may not have been in a snowy, icy road environment before.
“Some people in the North Island may not have encountered it either.”
- RNZ
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