Matamata’s dangerous bridges to be examined

Safety improvements to the Mangawhero Bridge and approaches on SH27 south of Matamata are being looked as part of a $4 million NZTA project.

The safety upgrade was currently being designed for SH27 between the SH26 and SH24 intersections.

The 26.9km route connects Morrinsville to the north with Matamata to the south.

This work is part of the $600m investment Transport Minister Simon Bridges announced recently.

The Safer Roads and Roadsides Programme will see safety improvements made to more than 90 high-risk sites on rural State Highways in 14 regions. It includes nearly all high risk roads where there have been five or more fatalities in the last five years.

‘‘Up to $100 million will be invested annually in the programme over six years – $60 million more than is usually invested each year in road safety improvements,’’ Bridges said.

The roading improvements will result in 900 fewer deaths and serious injuries on roads over the next 10 years.

Bridges said eight out of 10 fatal and serious crashes on State Highways occur on rural roads and 85 to 90 per cent of those crashes are head on or where the driver runs off the road.

‘‘The road improvements will make roads more forgiving of human error, helping to reduce the occurrence of crashes in the first place and limiting the severity when they do.’’

The safety upgrades will target causes of crashes by including a mix of road improvements, realignment of corners in some areas to improve visibility, side barriers, median barriers, rumble strips, wide centrelines, road marking and improved signage.

Between 2010 and 2014 there were 49 death and serious injury crashes on this route. Drivers losing control and running off the road is the most common type of crash.

Roadside hazards such as trees, ditches and drop offs mean there is a high likelihood of runoff-road crashes resulting in death or serious injury.

Side barriers, rumble strips and wide shoulders are being installed along sections of the route along with new signage and road markings which will alert drivers to oncoming corners.

Construction is due to start in late 2016.