'An insult': Line painting on Hawke's Bay highway worse than what 'children' could have done

The sloppy roadmarkings on SH5 near Eskdale which the NZTA is putting right. Photo / Supplied

An Eskdale local was happy to drive at restricted speeds while a stretch of State Highway 5 was undergoing roadmarking but was left unhappy at what he later came across.

"One visitor asked me if the roadmarking had been done by children — but that's an insult to children," the resident and regular road user said.

He said it appeared whoever had carried out the work had left marker cones over the wet paint.

He also spotted what appeared to be unused paint tipped near a bend near Marshall's Bridge. It was later driven over leaving white tyre tracks along a stretch of the highway.

The sloppy roadmarkings on SH5 near Eskdale which the NZTA is putting right. Photo / Supplied

There were also other stretches between Dillon's Hill and the SH5 turn-off at Eskdale where there was smudged and smeared paint.

The resident said there appeared to be "scribbled notes" in white paint at some spots.

"Presumably telling them where they left off from the previous day."

He described some of the fresh new painted lines over the existing lines as "wavering" in some places.

"It's not good — it's messy."

The New Zealand Transport Agency had been alerted about the markings and had sparked up repair plans.

"We are aware that there have been some issues in the way that markings have been applied on SH5 as part of our Safety Boost Programme, and these will be fixed as soon as possible," NZTA regional transport systems manager Oliver Postings said.

"We will continue to monitor this work to ensure that it meets our standards."

The roadmarking crews are contracted to the NZTA and have been carrying out roadmarking work on SH5 as well as SH2 north.

The programme is continuing and as it was a mobile operation motorists are being asked to drive with caution when passing the roadmarking vehicles.