Works are starting on September 5 on an NZTA project to improve safety on State Highway 16 at Helensville.
The Agency is widening the road shoulder and installing a guardrail on the outside curve just north of the intersection of the highway and Kiwitahi Road.
“These changes will reduce the risk of vehicles running off the road and onto the railway line and are part of a series of improvements to provide immediate safety benefits for those using State Highway 16”, says NZTA Auckland highway manager Brett Gliddon.
“We’ve identified some areas that we can carry out short-term work to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries while we continue to develop other medium and longer term solutions to the wider transport network in the North West of Auckland,” says Gliddon.
There were four crashes in the area in the five year period from 2010-2014 and in three of those the vehicle landed on the railway line.
“All drivers can make mistakes but by removing potential hazards and providing safety barriers we can make our roads and roadsides more forgiving and help stop those mistakes from becoming serious crashes,” says Gliddon.
The improvements will take about six weeks to carry out, dependent on good weather.
Two lanes of traffic will be kept open to minimise potential delays but motorists should allow extra time for their journey.
