Review into deadly SH2 stretch between Waihi and Paeroa

Businesses in the Karangahake Gorge such as the Waikino Hotel are calling for the 80km/h speed limit to be lowered. Photo/Melanie Camoin

Karangahake Gorge businesses want a lower speed limit ahead of this summer's anticipated visitor influx.

The calls come as the NZ Transport Agency confirms it will review the 80km/h speed limit on State Highway 2 between Waihi and Paeroa.

Waikino Hotel's James Beck said he feared a serious accident would happen before anything was done.

"If you start slowing people down to 60km/h in the area, it can create a backlog in the 100km/h zone - I understand it's a tricky one,'' he said.

''But every now and then you see someone coming across the road and they've got kids with pushbikes, they're there in the middle of the road. It's heart stopping. Because people don't slow down coming past us."

Five people have been killed and 36 seriously injured on that stretch of SH2 between SH26 at Paeroa and SH25 Waihi in the past 10 years.

Beck's comments come after the Bay of Plenty Times reported on October 13 a fixed speed camera near the gorge's eastern entrance is revealed as the second busiest in New Zealand, snapping 5388 speeders and hauling in more than $500,000 in fines for June.

"As far as penalties for people breaking the speed limit, we're all for it," Beck said.

"We are just going to become busier and busier. There will be more people which means more cars on the road."

Operators such as Beck believe this week's closure of 21 walking tracks around the North Island due to kauri dieback will funnel more visitors to the gorge's tracks.

The Tailsman Cafe and Crafts owner Karen Drake said the area was already busy.

"All you hear outside the window is people honking their horns because people are travelling so fast and others are trying to turn in to us or the reserve. Then you've got trucks coming around the corner doing 90km/h, they start blaring their horn because someone is still getting up to speed from leaving the car park."

The cafe is across from the main car park and entrance to the Karangahake Gorge reserve. Work has recently been done to extend the car park there and provide more parking at Waikino.

"Just coming out on the road is deadly. It's incredible there hasn't been more crashes. There's got to be something done about it," she said.

Drake would like a pedestrian underpass because of the gorge's growing popularity.

"The whole gorge area is meant to be scenic. People need to slow down."

Resident Helen Wilson said the highway was a "lethal piece of road".

"It's a busy road. It's dangerous. You have to be extra careful when you cross it. [Some drivers] still whip through there at 100km/h."

NZ Transport Agency transport system manager Rob Campbell said the organisation was developing a programme which would "determine where improved speed management could provide a significant reduction in the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our roads".

The programme includes a review of speed limits between Paeroa and Waihi and is expected to happen in the next six months.

The work was part of the Safe Networks programme which would rapidly deliver proven safety interventions, and safe and appropriate speeds on high-risk routes across New Zealand, Campbell said.

The Department of Conservation would not comment on the potential increase in visitors but said it would make a statement regarding track closures.