State highways around Rotorua will get a $1 million safety boost this month.
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is installing targeted safety upgrades designed to reduce the risk of death and serious injury crashes around the region.
The $1.02 million Rotorua investment includes new signs and road markings, alerting drivers to what is ahead. The high-risk State Highway 5/ Tutukau Road intersection, will be widened and upgraded with a new right-turn bay.
NZTA is installing guard rails on State Highway 5 (SH5) Waiotapu, State Highway 30 Whirinaki Valley, State Highway 36 Kaharoa Rd and SH5 Tutukau Road, Mihi and it is trimming or removing some trees also to improve visibility.
The Transport Agency’s Bay of Plenty highways manager, Niclas Johansson says the changes are designed to make the roads and roadsides more forgiving, reducing the impact if a driver makes a mistake and crashes.
Johansson says the agency is installing guardrails on corners where there is a risk of drivers losing control and vehicles running off the road.
“Half of the death and serious injury crashes in New Zealand are from drivers losing control and running off the road,” says Johansson.
Putting in place measures that help prevent road crashes from occurring is a major focus for the Transport Agency,” he says.
“However, no matter how many steps we develop, mistakes will still happen, and road crashes will occur,” says Johansson.
“Installing guard rails, removing hazards such as trees and creating a more clear way with upgraded signs and road marking contribute to creating more forgiving roads and roadsides that reduce the impact if a driver makes a mistake and crashes,” he says.
The SH5 Tutukau Road site finished early this month, and the remainder of the works are underway and will be completed by mid-June.
