Rotorua roadworkers shot at with BB gun, verbally abused during Utuhina Stream Bridge closure

Multimedia Journalist, Bay of Plenty Times·Rotorua Daily Post·

10 Oct, 2023 04:00 PM6 mins to read

Rotorua is grappling with “shocking” traffic delays stemming from a highway bridge closure, which locals say has resulted in five-minute drives taking up to an hour. Photo / File

Roadworkers have been shot at with a BB gun, verbally abused and left traumatised in Rotorua, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says.

It comes as the city grapples with “shocking” traffic delays stemming from a highway bridge closure, which locals say has resulted in five-minute drives taking up to an hour and turnover at one business halving.

Waka Kotahi said it appreciated motorists were frustrated but the abuse of stop/go workers at a detour point by a few was “disgraceful” and worsened the congestion for all.

The Utuhina Stream Bridge near Rotorua Boys’ High School on State Highway 5/Old Taupō Rd is set to reopen three days early on Thursday night. It has been closed since September 25 for “critical” maintenance of the aging bridge. Several detours are in place.

The Ford Rd/Malfroy Rd intersection in Rotorua where traffic management workers were shot at with a BB gun. Photo / Ben Fraser

At the Ford Rd and Malfroy Rd detour point on Monday afternoon, traffic management workers were shot at with a BB gun from a passing vehicle, Waka Kotahi Bay of Plenty and Waikato director of regional relationships David Speirs said.

“The same vehicle went through the site again [yesterday morning] and its occupants yelled abuse and threats at our stop/go workers,” Speirs said.

“This behaviour is disgraceful. While there were fortunately no physical injuries, the incidents have been very traumatising for the workers affected.”

Speirs said the agency was “forced” to remove the stop/go operations on the detour route to keep staff and the site safe.

“Unfortunately, this will result in increased congestion and delays through the detour routes during peak times.

“The abusive behaviour of a few has risked the safety of others, and will negatively impact on everyone.”

Speirs urged drivers to treat road workers with respect.

“They are doing their part to keep road users safe and in turn, they deserve a safe working environment.”

He said the detour routes were based on its traffic modelling, with signal timings adjusted by the Tauranga Traffic Operations Centre to help keep traffic flowing.

Work continues on Utuhina bridge. Photo / Andrew Warner

Stop/go workers were on detour routes at peak school pick-up and drop-off hours — 7am-9am and 2pm-4pm — this week as a proactive measure to help keep traffic moving and drivers and children safe.

Spiers said the bridge work was running ahead of schedule and the State Highway 5 reopening would be brought forward to Thursday from Sunday, provided there were no unforeseen issues.

Both incidents at the detour point were reported to police.

A police spokesman said a person had been “formally warned” about Monday’s incident, with police not ruling out laying charges. The other incident was also being investigated.

He said Monday’s incident was reported at 2pm and Tuesday’s at 10am.

The Rotorua Daily Post also spoke to local residents and a business impacted by the roadworks.

Patrick’s Pies Gold Star Bakery owner Patrick Lam said turnover at his Old Taupō Rd store had dropped by about half, with fewer customers visiting.

The award-winning piemaker said he understood the work on the bridge needed to be done, but it was affecting his business “a lot”.

He said customers were commenting on the bridge closure, saying it was “very hard to get to your shop” and they “might go somewhere else for now”.

Kawaha Point resident Jo-Anne La Grouw also accepted the bridge needed to be fixed, but said the traffic had worsened this week, with schools back from holidays.

She said her usual five-minute trip home from town on Monday took an hour with the “chaotic” school traffic around 3.30pm. A 9am journey from Kawaha Point Rd to Lake Rd, which should take three minutes, took her 20 minutes.

Traffic building on Lake Rd on Tuesday afternoon. Photo / Andrew Warner

“Everyone is really grumpy about it,” she said.

She was putting off her supermarket shop to avoid the traffic and said the usually full carpark at Parksyde Community Centre, which offered activities for ages 55 years and older, was only half full, said La Grouw, who is in her 70s.

“The older people aren’t prepared to go out and challenge the traffic.”

She said large trucks detouring through town added to the congestion, and she had seen two ambulances and a fire truck with sirens on that “couldn’t move” in “shocking” traffic on Ranolf St.

Fire and Emergency group manager Brendon Grylls said the bridge closure was having “minimal impact” on its firefighters as they had advance warning and had planned around it. They were also trained to handle traffic.

“We do appreciate it when drivers can, if possible to do so safely, move out of the way of fire trucks which are clearly responding to an emergency.”

Mum of five Kelly Albrecht said trips that should take five minutes were nearing half-hour journeys.

The family lives on Petrie St, off Malfroy Rd, and she said cars were already backed up around 8.15am, making it difficult to reach the main road.

She had children at Westbrook, Rotorua Intermediate and Rotorua Girls’ High schools, and one at daycare on Malfroy Rd.

“My kids were late to their first day of school this term.”

She said drivers were visibly frustrated and parents at the daycare were rushing their crying children in and saying they were late for work.

Albrecht had trialled different routes to try and avoid the traffic, but said other drivers had the same idea.

“Everyone is trying to find loopholes to get to town or school.”

Raukura principal Chris Grinter said more students arrived late to school on Tuesday than normal, due to traffic.

He said, however, he had not heard of any major issues from the Rotorua Boys’ High community relating to the nearby roadworks, and said the school was lucky to have more than one entrance.

“Being able to avoid Pukuatua St completely is useful.”

A Waka Kotahi spokeswoman said the remedial works were “critical” and the method it was using meant they were being completed “far more quickly” than they otherwise would have.

She said the team had been working “extremely hard” to expedite its work. As a result, it was running ahead of schedule so the level of congestion would not be an ongoing issue.

Detours

All light vehicles to detour via Malfroy Rd, Ford Rd and Sunset Rd.
Heavy vehicles and CBD traffic to detour via Lake Rd and Ranolf St
High Productivity Motor Vehicles vehicles need to use SH1, and either SH5 or SH30.

Source: Waka Kotahi

- Additional reporting Megan Wilson

Cira Olivier is a social issues and breaking news reporter for NZME Bay of Plenty. She has been a journalist since 2019.