$1.4 billion programme to save lives on roads
Sunday, 16 December 2018
A $1.4 billion project to improve safety on New Zealand's most high-risk roads could prevent 160 deaths and serious injuries a year, the Government says.
The Safe Network Programme was announced on Sunday morning by Transport Minister Phil Twyford and Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter at Dome Valley, north of Auckland - a notorious stretch of road that will be targeted in the programme.
It will see 870 kilometres of high-volume, high-risk State Highways made safer by 2021 with improvements such as median and side barriers, rumble strips and shoulder widening.
Once completed, the improvements are expected to prevent 160 deaths and serious injuries every year.
**READ MORE:
* Dome Valley: one of the deadliest roads in the North Island
* New Warkworth to Wellsford motorway route proposed
'Drivers will inevitably make mistakes and it's the government's job to stop those mistakes turning into tragedies,' Twyford said.
'This year, far too many New Zealanders have lost their lives or been seriously injured in crashes that could have been prevented by road safety upgrades.'
Genter agreed, saying no other industry accepted hundred of people dying each year as normal.
'No person I know thinks losing a loved one in a crash is an acceptable price to pay for living in a modern society - that's why we're making safety a priority,' Genter said.
The programme will target an estimated $600 to $700 million of state highway safety improvements and $700 to 800 million of local road safety improvements.
Because Waikato, Auckland and Canterbury had the highest rates of deaths and serious injuries, they would be prioritised in the first year of the programme.
In Dome Valley, one hour north of Auckland, $36.2m was being put aside for the dangerous stretch of SH1 between Wellsford and Warkworth.
Rodney-based NZ First list MP Jenny Marcroft was delighted the area had been identified as one that required urgent attention.
'The Dome Valley road was not built with the current levels of traffic in mind and it is great to see that it has been identified as one of the top priorities for investment and improvement,' Marcroft said.
'Our road toll is far too high, and the design of our highways is part of the problem.'
Changes for Dome Valley were first proposed by NZTA in July last year.
At the time, they cited statistics for the valley showing 17 people had died in car accidents and another 42 had been seriously injured between 2005 and 2016.
Annual road deaths in New Zealand increased from 253 in 2013 to 378 last year.
State Highway projects already underway:
Northland
SH1: Whangarei to Wellsford
Auckland
SH1: Dome Valley
SH16: Brigham Creek to Waimauku
Waikato
SH2: Pokeno to Mangatarata
SH1B: Taupiri to Gordonton
SH23: Hamilton to Whatawhata
SH27: Tatuanui
SH23: Waitetuna to Raglan
SH1: Cambridge to Piarere
SH3: SH37 to Te Kuiti
SH3: Awakino to Mt Messenger
SH1: Piarere to Taupo
SH5: Mihi to Wairakei
SH1: East Taupo Arterial
SH27: Mangawhero Stream Bridge
SH29: Piarere to Tauriko
Bay of Plenty
SH2: Waihi to Omokoroa
SH2: Omokoroa to Te Puna
SH33: Te Ngae Junction to Paengaroa
SH2: Wainui Road to Opotiki
Hawke's Bay
SH2: Wairoa to Bay View
SH2: Pakipaki to Waipukurau
SH2B/SH50/SH50A: Hawke's Bay Expressway
Taranaki
SH3: Waitara to Bell Block
Manawatu-Whanganui
SH1: Ōtaki to North Levin
SH57: SH1 to Shannon
Wellington
SH58: Pauatahanui to Upper Hutt
SH2: Masterton to Carterton
Canterbury
SH7: Waipara to Waikari
SH1: Ashley to Belfast
SH74: Marshland to Burwood
SH1: Rakaia to Ashburton
Otago-Southland
SH1: Intersection improvements
SH88: Dunedin to Port Chalmers