First sod turned on Piarere to Oaktree safety project

Transit New Zealand today marked the start of construction of a project that will make a tricky stretch of State Highway 1 in the South Waikato safer.

Local MP Hon Mark Burton, together with South Waikato District Council Mayor Neil Sinclair and Transit New Zealand Chairman Bryan Jackson, turned the first sod on the SH1 Piarere to Oak Tree Bends Realignment.

Mr Burton, who represented Minister of Transport Hon Annette King at the ceremony, said the project was one of a number of important regional safety initiatives aimed at reaching the Government’s challenging target of no more than 300 road deaths a year by 2010, and no more than 200 by 2040

“We all know that State Highway 1 plays a vital role in our national transport infrastructure, and as the main route through the country it is imperative that we ensure it operates as safely and effectively as possible,” he said.

The project, which stretches over four kilometres, will remove a series of 14 tight curves. This area has a history of crashes, and the tight curves are out of context with speed and conditions motorists are used to on SH1 either side of the project.

Transit regional manager Kaye Clark said when the project was first seriously investigated nearly 10 years ago, the route had a crash rate twice the national average for roads of its type.

A series of interim safety measures carried out while the project was developed – installing extra wide road markings, double yellow ‘no overtaking’ lines, rumble strips on centre lines and edge lines, new high visibility signs and resealing to improve skid resistance – reduced the crash rate for a number of years.

However, despite these improvements, the number and severity of crashes was now rising again, she said.

“Once the construction project is complete, the road will be consistent with the rest of State Highway 1 between Hamilton and Taupo and motorists will be able to travel safely at 100km/h on the new alignment.”

Mrs Clark said the project would require excavation of rock bluffs up to 20m high near the highway, and this might require temporary lane closures on SH1 for short periods.

“While the contractor will try to minimise any disruption or delays, the nature of this project indicates there will be some unavoidable traffic disruption at times,” she said.

The $8 million contract for constructing the project has been let to Transfield Services. Construction work will be visible within a month and is expected to be finished by late 2009.