The SH5 potential safety infrastructure upgrade may include median barriers, side barriers, wide centrelines and intersection improvement. Photo / Warren Buckland
The SH5 potential safety infrastructure upgrade may include median barriers, side barriers, wide centrelines and intersection improvement. Photo / Warren Buckland
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is considering an earlier-than-planned $100 million investment to improve safety on the Napier-Taupō Rd.
A business case for safety improvements on State Highway 5 has been brought forward into Waka Kotahi's 2021-2024 Land Transport Programme.
The region's MPs have hailed it as a "breakthrough decision"for the notorious stretch of road.
But Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst says the business case "doesn't provide any guarantees" and Waka Kotahi needs to share its overall strategic plan.
There were eight deaths on the winding road between Napier and Taupo in a 12 month period between December 2019 and December 2020 alone and Waka Kotahi is currently contemplating dropping the speed limit on an 83km stretch from 100km/h to 80km/h.
Waka Kotahi director of regional relationships Linda Stewart said after a review of the SH5 corridor, the business case for $100m of works had been brought forward and approved for inclusion in the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).
The project was "in the early stages" and was subject to confirmation of funding and feasibility, Stewart said. Design work would be done in the 2021-2024 NLTP period.
Stakeholder and community engagement would take place and then Waka Kotahi would apply for consents and begin staged construction.
Stewart said the works could include median barriers, side barriers, wide centrelines and intersection improvements "which will complement the current speed proposal and other smaller-scale improvements that are being delivered".
In a joint statement Tukituki MP Anna Lorck and Napier MP Stuart Nash said they were "delighted and relieved".
Tukituki MP Anna Lorck and Napier MP Stuart Nash said they worked and advocated hard for a long-term solution to make the Napier-Taupō Rd safer. Photo / Paul Taylor
"This major investment for SH5 is the result of working together as a strong and united voice for Hawke's Bay, with the full force of local residents from right across region who made submissions, along with the councils' collective support."
Nash and Lorck said in the statement that they had spoken to transport minister Michael Wood and made a joint submission to NZTA "seeking a binding commitment of an over-arching strategy for SH5".
"We are extremely pleased Waka Kotahi has agreed that additional investment in both safety improvements and a sustainable road maintenance plan is required for SH5," Lorck said.
Hazlehurst said while the business case "is some progress" towards making the road safer, "it does not provide any guarantees for our community".
"We look forward to the continued efforts of our MPs to advocate for this $100m investment.
"Waka Kotahi needs to show us the overall strategic plan for State Highway 5 to address safety, efficiency and resilience of this important national transport link for our people and produce."
A plan should include more than passing lanes, safety barriers and road realignment and "more than just maintenance needs to be done" to protect those who use the road, she said.
"I have led the region's push for more safety measures on SH5 – including numerous face to face conversations with NZTA, held vocal community meetings in Te Pohue, liaised with road safety advocates, spoken to concerned truck drivers and weekly commuters, met with the community onsite as well as made sure the local community knew how to submit on Waka Kotahi's recent speed reduction proposal for SH5.
"We need to see the agency's plan for SH5 as well as their decision about the speed limits – that is most important to the community."
