Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
It’s official, summer has started! The change of season and build up to Christmas means the road renewals season is almost at the halfway point, with great progress being made across the regions.
Contractors are out in force, which means there are more roadworkers out there keeping everyone safe near work sites. While most drivers are getting it right through worksites, it’s disappointing to see some people speeding and putting others at risk, says Sandra King, Bay of Plenty System Manager Bay at NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
“Speeding vehicles can flick up loose metal and other objects, which can be dangerous to our roadworkers and other road users.
“Motorists also have less control at higher speeds. They may clip road cones and send them flying at our roadworkers or into oncoming traffic – or lose control completely.
“Even when there is no one working on a site, we sometimes leave a reduced speed limit in place. This is to protect both road users and the road surface.
Temporary speed limits are left on sites for a reason – safety and quality. People will be driving on either a temporary surface or possibly freshly laid chipseal. We encourage drivers to take extra care, especially at night or in bad weather when visibility is reduced, so they can safely get to their destination, says Ms King.
“As always, the NZTA Journey Planner is the best tool to use on the day of travel, as this provides real-time updates on worksites and other road hazards on the network.”
Journey planner(external link)
This work forms part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.
Waikato and Bay of Plenty state highway works as at 29 November 2024 [PDF, 359 KB]
