Safer roads programme shaping up

Targeted safety improvements installed on State Highway 37 recently are part of a $600 million Safer Roads and Roadsides Programme to be delivered. The changes, which cost $1.5 million and took place in the Waitomo District, include side barriers to stop drivers running off the road, as well as improved signage and road markings. which will alert drivers of upcoming corners. Sections of the highway have also been widened and a new foot-path linking tourist spots has been built. “This is one of the 90 most high risk rural roads in New Zealand with one death and six serious injury crashes over the past decade. A number of safety improvements have been made which mean people can now expect a safer journey,” Mr Bridges says. The Safer Roads and Roadsides Programme will affect 90 high-risk sites in 14 regions across the country. “Up to $100 million will be invested annually in the programme over six years – $60 million more than is usually invested each year in road safety improvements,” Mr Bridges says.