Most public submissions support a NZ Transport Agency proposal to permanently reduce the speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h, to improve safety on State Highway 6 (SH6) between Stalker Road and Hardware Lane in Frankton.
Feedback on the proposal closed on 28 March. Just over 170 submissions were received with the majority in favour of a lower speed limit. Current crash figures for 2011–2016 on this 2.3 km section of highway show 18 reported crashes, resulting in three serious and 13 minor injuries.
Transport Agency Southern Business Unit Manager Ian Duncan says many of the submissions supporting the lower speed limit also wanted further safety improvements at the SH6/Tucker Beach Road intersection. This was not unexpected, as the community had already raised concerns about the safety of the intersection.
“Lowering the speed limit through this area is one of the measures to increase safety at this intersection. Tucker Beach Road provides access into Quail Rise with the local community the major users of the intersection. We have met with representatives of the local community about this issue. The discussions were constructive, and our intention isto talk with them again in the next few weeks about safety improvement options at this site in addition to the speed limit change.”
Mr Duncan says all of the Transport Agency’s road safety partners agreed in principal to the proposed speed limit change, and it is good to have this endorsed by so many submitters on this proposal. There are now various legal processes to go through to get the new lower speed limit in place, which is expected to happen later this month or in early May.
A number of the submissions called for an 80km/h speed limit from Hardware Lane in Frankton to the SH6/Crown Range Road intersection. This will be considered by the Transport Agency at some point in the future, but not as part of this proposed speed limit change, which is only focused on SH6 between Stalker Road and Hardware Lane.
Mr Duncan said the Transport Agency is committed to creating safer journeys by reducing the numbers of death and serious injuries on roads through the Safe System approach.
“The Safe System recognises that people make mistakes and are vulnerable in a crash, and aims to reduce the price paid for a mistake so crashes don’t result in death or serious injuries. This includes building safer roads and encouraging people to drive at safe speeds.”
For more information of the Transport Agency’s Safe System approach click here.(external link)
Ways to find out what is happening on the highway network:
Call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS 0800 44 44 49
