Northland roadworkers call for calm as abuse from motorists escalates through worksites

Motorists travelling around Northland are being urged to respect roadworkers this summer.

Northland roadworkers fed up with copping abuse from impatient drivers have issued a plea for motorists to be patient this summer.

NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) recently posted a video on social media of staff describing their experiences which included getting items thrown at them, and aggressive behaviour such as swearing and cursing.

Verbal and physical abuse from people passing through worksites was “not acceptable”, NZTA maintenance and operations regional manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult said.

Hori-Hoult urged motorists to respect roadworkers and travel safety through their worksites by sticking to the posted speed limit and following signage and instructions.

“Be patient when you’re travelling through roadworks.

“Roadworkers are out there making the roads better and safer this summer.”

Visitors and residents using Northland’s state highway network can expect to see an increase in roadworks in the coming months as NZTA makes up time lost to relentless wet weather.

This year’s summer maintenance programme will see 156 lane kilometres renewed across the regional state highway network up until May next year.

Summer was the best time for maintenance work such as road resurfacing, because the warmer and drier weather helped new seal stick to the road surface.

“While temporary speed restrictions, road cones and barriers may add time to your journey, they’re in place to keep our workers safe who are working to improve our state highways,” Hori-Hoult said.

“Patience is a virtue when behind the wheel … when you encounter traffic management on the road, remember to slow down, exercise caution, and show respect for the dedicated crews working to make our roads safer.”

Roadworkers faced violent behaviour, insults and abuse during the first few days of roadworks along Kerikeri Rd in October 2022, prompting calls for patience while the project was carried out.

Police were called after irate motorists threw road cones at workers and drove through the 550-metre section of closed-off road which was being rebuilt and resurfaced from outside the Old Packhouse Market to the Maraenui Rd intersection.

Ventia project manager Jashneet Prasad appealed to drivers to be patient while work to Kerikeri Rd was carried out last year. Photo / Jenny Ling

AA road safety spokesman Dylan Thomsen said it was “completely unacceptable” that workers had become the targets of abuse and violence.

“No one deserves to be on the end of that sort of behaviour. The people repairing and improving our roads are doing important work.

“The poor quality of our roads is the number one transport concern for many AA members.

“We need good people working to get the roads back up to scratch and they deserve to be treated with respect and decency.”

Thomsen said the amount of work planned for summer “will likely mean some delays and slower trips”.

“People should give themselves extra time to get to their destinations for stress-free travel and ensure the holidays are enjoyable.”

Roadworks are planned for each district – 40 lane kilometres of work will be carried out in Kaipara, 84 in the Far North, and 20 in Whangārei – and are a mixture of maintenance and postponed projects.

All work sites will close on December 22 and January 8 to alleviate congestion over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

Motorists can visit NZTA’s website to see where roadworks are happening and plan their travel around potential delays.

Visit journeys.nzta.govt.nz for more information.

Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering health, lifestyle, roading, business and animal welfare issues.