SH2 traffic congestion risking lives as emergency services struggle to get through

Someone could die if traffic congestion on the notorious stretch of State Highway 2 between Waihī and Tauranga gets any worse, a seasoned first responder warns.

Katikati senior firefighter Brendan Gibbs said most days the brigade was struggling to get to emergencies as fast as they would like because of increased traffic on the highway.

The congestion also stalled the efforts of some firefighters urgently trying to get to the fire station in the first place.

When Katikati's siren sounds, the volunteers drop what they do to get to the Sheffield Rd station and head out with the brigade "but if they're living on a road that comes off SH2, they often struggle to get here quickly", Gibbs said.

"It's just really hard when you have to wait five to six minutes longer for someone just to get to the station before being able to respond (to an emergency)."

Gibbs said the congestion was a problem for the brigade about five times a week but especially bad during peak hours and the weekend. Summer holiday traffic also created delays, with some drivers spending up to 90 minutes in traffic backed up in the 20km stretch between Waihī and Katikati, he said.

Katikati firefighter Brendan Gibbs, says congestion on SH2 between Waihī and Tauranga is making it hard for the brigade to get to emergencies quickly. Photo / file

Last week while off-duty, Gibbs spent an hour in traffic travelling 11km from the Athenree turnoff to Katikati.

"There are so many cars on the road and the road is just not designed for that many. There are 30,000 cars coming through Katikati every day, and 1000 trucks. That makes for a busy, busy road."

Constant congestion meant many drivers now hugged the centreline to see when they could pass, making it difficult for firefighters to pass without travelling on the other side of the road - often busy with oncoming traffic, he said.

"It's very, very frustrating."

Drone footage from January 3, 2019, shows a tail of traffic travelling through Katikati on SH2. Photo / Mitchell Kiernan

Gibbs has been a firefighter for 18 years "and seen a fair few nasty things". He was the officer in charge of the tragic 2016 crash which killed five Tongan men on SH2 at Apata and knows the importance of urgent medical care for crash victims.

"If we can get to someone within 20 minutes and get them to hospital, I'm happy. But when it's taking us a long time to get there .... The longer you are injured in a car waiting for ambulance, firefighters or police to come, the chances are you will not make it, particularly with severe trauma.

"To me, it's a big concern."

Gibbs said he would like to see a four-lane highway between Katikati and Tauranga.

Fix the Bloody Road campaigner Andrew Hollis says every minute after an accident is important on SH2 but heavy traffic was hampering emergency services' efforts. Photo / file

Athenree firefighter Luke Burgess said SH2 congestion "definitely slows us down ... particularly at this time of year".

Waihī fire chief Moe Stevens said his brigade all lived in town, because it would take too long for to respond to emergencies otherwise. He was critical of Katikati's sole pedestrian crossing which resulted in "traffic backed up as far as Kauri Point sometimes".

"SH2 really needs looking at ... I always call it the patchwork quilt because nothing is ever fixed, just patched up. You've got Tauranga screaming out because of Ōmokoroa [development] but that's not the only place. The whole highway needs to be upgraded."

Ōmokoroa fire chief Ian Blunt agreed there were more SH2 traffic and crashes. In 2018, a quarter of the brigade's callouts were to accidents on the highway, including three fatals.

Blunt said SH2 congestion was "a major factor" and needed to be reduced.

Western Bay St John territory manager Ross Clarke said if ambulances were transporting a patient to Tauranga from Katikati or Te Puke, "it does slow us down - not to the detriment of the patient though. More to the frustration of the crew".

Last year, the Fix the Bloody Road campaigner Andrew Hollis presented a petition of 8000 signatures calling for better safety improvements for SH2. He said the firefighters' frustration was also felt among residents.

"If it takes even 10 minutes longer for emergency services, if someone is badly injured, that could easily make the difference between life and death. It is those minutes that matter."

The Government and NZ Transport Agency have since promised $100 million of safety improvements which include widening the centreline and intersection upgrades.

The agency was unable to respond to queries from the Bay of Plenty Times before deadline yesterday.