Two notorious stretches of State Highway 1 in Whangarei have been fast-tracked for safety improvements, with up to $33.5million spent on the roading projects.
Less than three months out from the election, the Government has announced that it has accelerated 14 regional state highway projects at a total cost of up to $212 million from the Future Investment Fund, including the Akerama curves and Loop Rd-Smeatons Hill improvements in Whangarei.
The news has been welcomed by Road Safe Northland Whangarei co-ordinator Gillian Archer, who said both projects would make the highway safer for all.
The NZ Transport Agency will spend between $10-$13.5 million realigning the Akerama curves, just north of Hukerenui, and putting in a new passing lane, with the earliest possible starting date late this year or early next, nearly six years ahead of schedule.
The Akerama curves realignment and passing lane is a long-standing project involving realignment of the dangerous curves along a 3km stretch of SH1. It aims to improve safety and access, with the creation of a new southbound passing lane and the extension of the existing northbound passing lane. This project has already been consented.
NZTA will also spend between $15-$20 million on the Loop Rd north to Smeatons Hill safety improvements. This stretch of SH1 is used by many logging trucks but the transport agency says the layout is poor, unsafe and very narrow in some sections. The project has yet to be consented and work was unlikely to start until 2017/18, but it had not previously been programmed for construction.
Ms Archer said Akerama curves were a major safety issue and she was delighted the project had been brought forward.
"In terms of safety, it has probably got the largest concentration of crashes, so I'm absolutely delighted it is being accelerated. It's going to be safer for everybody."
While the Loop Rd-Smeatons Hill work had not been scheduled, she said it was needed, given the number of logging trucks that use the intersection.
"That's the main route from further north for logging trucks going to the port and that intersection is not easy for the trucks to merge with other traffic, so that's a huge plus for road safety too," Ms Archer said.
The Automobile Association has welcomed the extra money, saying it is time the regions got more funding.
Labour leader David Cunliffe said the package was no substitute for a strong economic development plan. National had cut back the $330 million a year for regional roads to $160 million a year, so the measure was just putting back a little that they had taken away. Greens co-leader Russel Norman called it an election bribe using the state-asset sale "slush fund".