Napier Regional Office
Media Release

30 June 2004

Road safety key theme in Gisborne SH plan

Transit New Zealand will spend $133 million on maintaining and improving state highways in the Gisborne region over the next 10-years, reveals Transit’s 10-Year State Highway Plan 2004/05-2013/14, released today.

“Some of the projects outlined in the plan may be built faster and others added with additional funding we anticipate from a share of the regional distribution funding resulting from the Government’s December 2003 funding package, ‘Investing in Growth’ raised through an increase in petrol tax,” Transit regional manager Neville Harkness said.

He said safety improvement projects were the major features of the plan.

“Transit plans to remove severely ‘out of context’ sections of state highway at several locations. The SH35 Curve North of Makarika Road project is planned for construction in 2004/05, and the Curve North of Kaiteratahi Hill, Mortlemans Bridge North Curve Improvements, and Graham Road Curve improvements, all on SH2, are planned for design and construction within the next three years.

“Transit will also continue to focus strongly on the ongoing maintenance and operation of the state highway network, plus undertaking minor safety improvements. During maintenance work we will look for opportunities to widen the seal in areas where the highways are particularly narrow,” Mr Harknesss said.

In addition to maintaining current and future levels of service, and preserving the asset, Transit proposes to:

• carry out more pavement reconstruction than in previous years, adopting environmentally appropriate recycling strategies
• bring the network up to the target seal widths, as and when opportunities arise during maintenance activities
• continue to work on a risk analysis of subsidence sites, particularly on SH35, to reduce these risks, where appropriate.

Consultation played an important role in the development of the plan within the context of the new Land Transport Management Act which was passed in November 2003, Mr Harkness said.

Major features of the 10-year plan are:

• to remove severely ‘out of context’ sections of state highway, including:

• SH 35: Curve north of Makarika Road, south of Ruatoria
• SH 2: Curve north of Kaiteratahi Hill, north of Ormond
• SH 2: Mortlemans Bridge North Curve Improvements, north of Matawai
• SH 2: Graham Road Curve, south of Matawai

• Seal widening on SH35 between Gisborne and Tolaga Bay, and north of Tolaga Bay, and additional passing bays on SH2 and SH35, as possible regional development projects.

Further information is available at www.transit.govt.nz
Detailed maps and timing of projects are listed by region.

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