Campaigners erect white crosses and billboards along SH2

Twenty crosses, some more than two-metres tall, have been erected along State Highway 2 this morning.

Five volunteers from the for the Fix the Bloody Road campaign placed the crosses and two large billboards near the intersection of SH2 and Te Puna Quarry Rd.

The group had been campaigning for a four-lane, median-strip highway from Tauranga to Katikati and SH2 safety improvements.

Andrew Hollis, a spokesman for the group, said the crosses were a visual representation to show how many people had lost their lives on the stretch of road between Tauranga and Katikati in recent years.

"I've lived in Tauranga on and off for the past 46 years and this road hasn't had terribly much done to it in that time," he said.

Andrew Hollis from the Fix the Bloody Road group worked with other volunteers to erect 20 white crosses. Photo/ Andrew Warner

Hollis said he had seen successive Governments and councils plan for a four-lane highway and then remove funding.

"We're right at the beginning of having that happen again. All that is going to do is cause more deaths," he said.

Police statistics released to the Bay of Plenty Times showed 26 people had died in car accidents on SH2 between Tauranga and Katikati since 2011.

A further three people died on side roads off SH2 in the same time frame, taking the number of deaths to 29 in the past seven years.

Placement of the crosses and billboards followed this week's submission hearings in relation to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's draft Regional Land Transport Plan.

Hollis towed a wrecked car to the front the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's offices in First Ave while submissions were being heard to graphically illustrate the crash carnage seen on SH2.

About 1900 submissions were received by the council and more than 150 people verbally spoke to their submissions.

A Givealittle page had been set up to help fund promotional activities by local campaigners.

Hollis said donations would cover the cost for items such as bumper stickers, t-shirts, flyers, materials to build crosses and public event costs.

To donate click Here.