A $15 million road safety engineering programme designed to help keep road users safe on key tourist routes in the South Island has been approved.
Associate transport minister Craig Foss says the funding is part of the $25 million road safety package for visiting drivers announced by government late last year.
The programme includes signage and marking improvements, barriers, intersection treatments, hazard removal, shoulder widening and sealing on state highways in Otago, Southland and the West Coast.
Recently completed initiatives include installation of 154 curve signs on SH6 from Lumberbox Creek near Queenstown to Kingston in Otago; installation of 26 curve signs on SH94, along with a safety barrier at Rocky Point near Mossburn in Southland; and upgrading of signage at 22 rest areas to give drivers in Southland and Otago more advance warning.
Foss explains that the wider Visiting Drivers Project, a partnership between central government, local government and the private sector, has rolled out dozens of initiatives since it began in 2014. “This summer, the government and its project partners will continue to build on those initiatives to further reduce harm on our roads,” he says.
“I want to be clear, there is no silver bullet, but the Visiting Drivers Project works alongside the Safer Journeys programme and all the infrastructure projects to create a safer environment that helps prevent crashes but also improves the outcome of any crashes that do occur.”
He concludes by emphasising that government wants “all visiting drivers to experience New Zealand as a safe, attractive and accessible place”.
The engineering programme will be completed over the 2016/17 and 2017/18 summer construction seasons.
