Flexible median barrier is an important part of the SH3 Whanganui to Bulls safety improvements project.
Flexible median barriers work by putting a barrier between you and an oncoming car, truck or motorcycle. This means if someone loses control or drifts across the centreline, the result isn’t a deadly head-on crash. We know median barriers are very effective, because of the number of times they get hit. Every time this happens, a potentially fatal or serious crash has been prevented.
Flexible median barriers catch vehicles before they hit something less forgiving – like a pole, tree or oncoming car. When a vehicle hits a flexible barrier, the steel cables flex, slowing down the vehicle and keeping it upright. They absorb the energy of the impact, which means that you and your passengers don’t.
Between 2019 and 2023, there were 159 crashes on SH3 between Whanganui and Bulls which resulted in 7 people dying and 19 being seriously injured. Three of the deaths and 10 of the serious injuries may have been prevented if flexible median barrier had been in place on the road.
We are installing flexible median barrier in sections along the route that we have identified are at high risk of head-on crashes and where it is safe for flexible median barrier to be installed. The barrier will make the whole route safer, including locations where crashes have been in the past.
Flexible median barriers can be lowered and driven over in emergency situations if needed. When developing designs, we work closely with the teams who manage incidents on the road.
Watch the video on how median barriers work.
Turnaround facilities
Once median barriers are installed you may need to drive a little further to turn right. We leave gaps in the barriers and provide safe places to turn where possible. It’s about finding the balance between convenience and protecting everyone.
The initial stretches of median barrier can be safely installed without the need for turnaround facilities. However, we will provide safe turnaround facilities at set points along the highway for future stretches of barrier.
We consider the following factors when planning turnaround locations:
- the number of driveways for residents or businesses on the road, and the practicality for people using turnaround facilities daily
- the likelihood of unsafe behaviour like turning at gaps designed for emergency services
- the types of vehicles that travel on the road and the frequency they will need to turn.
Generally, NZTA guidelines recommend a spacing of 3km between turnaround facilities. This supports the safety benefits gained from median barriers and the access needs for people living or working in the area.
While you may need to drive a bit further, turnaround facilities will provide a much safer right turning access off and on to the road for everyone. Specifically, they can:
- reduce how much opposing traffic someone needs to navigate when turning right out of a side road or driveway
- reduce the risk of a rear-end crash from someone driving behind a person turning right
- combine accessways and turning points at a safe location on the road
- provide an alternative location for people driving to safely stop, such as for maintenance and in an emergency.
Turnaround bays are going to become more common. They can be located on a state highway or on connecting local roads.
This video shows how people can use a turnaround bay on a state highway.
