New highway barriers aim to enhance road safety between Whanganui and Bulls

State Highway 3 between Whanganui and Bulls will be getting new flexible median barriers. Photo / Bevan Conley

Seven locations have now been confirmed for the installation of a flexible median barrier on State Highway 3 between Whanganui and Bulls.

In February NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) announced plans to install up to 6km of flexible median barrier on this stretch of the highway by the middle of the year.

The flexible median barriers were designed to make the route safer and totalled about 5.8km in length.

There will be 1.3km of barrier installed at Dudding Lake to Union Line, 0.8km from Union Line to Williamsons Line, 0.6km from Pukepapa Rd to Brightwell Rd, 0.3km from Brightwell Rd to Tennants Rd, 0.6km from Number 7 Line to Pukepapa Rd, about 1.5km from Makirikiri Rd to Dudding Lake, and 0.7km from south of Dalvey Rd.

“In May, our contractor began installing barriers, starting on the stretch of SH3 between Dudding Lake and Union Line. Our contractor is installing flexible median barrier one stretch at a time,” an NZTA spokesperson said.

“From [June 10], our contractor plans to install barriers between Number 7 Line and Pukepapa Rd and between Makirikiri Rd and Dudding Lake. This work is expected to be completed by the end of June.”

The spokesperson said there would be a temporary speed limit of 30km/h in the locations where the contractor would be working but, for most of the work, both lanes of the road would remain open.

“However, for some of the work, stop/go traffic management may be required, with five-minute delays expected.”

The work will take place Monday to Friday between 6am and 6pm, and the area has already been prepared for installation by contractors who have been working since February.

The spokesperson said traffic management would change during the installation – “please keep up to date on the NZTA Journey Planner and expect lower temporary speed limits and drive to the conditions through traffic management”.

They said NZTA was also planning to install a short section of roadside safety barrier (guardrail) beside the southbound lane before the SH3/Pukepapa Rd intersection.

“There is a large drop-off on the side of the state highway and a barrier in this location offers increased protection for road users. Investigations for further roadside barrier sites on SH3 are under way.”