Work continuing on making Hawke’s Bay’s roads safer

The NZ Transport Agency has announced the latest details of road safety work planned in Hawke’s Bay this summer.

The Transport Agency’s Systems Manager Ross I’Anson says work is underway to make the region’s road safer and more resilient.

“This summer we’ll continue to progress safety improvements on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway, and in the new year locals can expect to see more safety barriers on Hawke’s Bay highways – a simple but effective measure that can save lives.

“We’ve also been making good progress on safety improvements on State Highway 2 between Waipukurau and Pakipaki. This work will temporarily stop for the Christmas break, and in January we’ll begin installing barriers and rumble strips to help prevent serious crashes,” Mr I’Anson says.

Other improvements underway in the region include the State Highway 2 Bay View to Airport median barrier and passing lane work.

Work on road safety improvements on State Highway 2 between Bay View and the State Highway 5 intersection will begin in mid-2019.

“While some preparations will be done on the road side, we’re delaying some parts of our work on the Bay View section of this road to mid-2019. This will mean less disruption for drivers over the busy summer holiday period,” Mr I’Anson says.

The NZ Transport Agency is also sharing community feedback on the stretch of State Highway 50A between Longlands Road and Pakipaki. This was gathered to help plan next steps for this section of road.

Feedback included comments about the growing traffic volumes in the region, as well as concerns about safety at intersections and suggestions that speeds should lowered at some points on the road.

“This feedback is very useful in helping us to develop options for how we can make this road safer. Next year, we’ll come back to the community to share our next steps for this part of the expressway.”

For more information on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway project including a summary of the feedback received is available on the project webpage, see https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/hawkes-bay-expressway-improvements/

For more information on other Hawke’s Bay projects:

SH2 Wairoa to Bay View - https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh2-wairoa-to-bay-view/

SH2 Pakipaki to Waipukurau - https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh2-pakipaki-to-waipukurau/

Tips for safe driving on your summer holiday:

• Check your car is in good “health” before you head off. Check your tyre pressure and tread, windscreen wipers, indicators and lights.
• Take extra care when travelling in holiday periods because of increased traffic volumes, congestion, tiredness and people driving in unfamiliar environments.
• Drive to the conditions - whether it’s the weather, the road you’re on, the time of day or amount of traffic.
• Avoid fatigue. Take regular breaks to stay alert.
• Keep a safe following distance from vehicles in front so you can stop safely.
• Be patient – overtaking is unlikely to make a significant difference to your journey time due to the amount of traffic expected over the weekend.
• Allow plenty of time. Remember you are on holiday, so there’s no need to rush.

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey this summer. Keep up to date with:

• Traffic updates: nzta.govt.nz/traffic(external link)
• Facebook: facebook.com/nztacni(external link)
• Twitter: twitter.com/nztacni(external link)
• Journey planner: journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)
• Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)