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Hawke’s Bay Gateway Project receives top award

The State Highway 2 Watchman Road/Airport access project has scooped the award for ‘Best Public Works Project greater than $5million’ at the Institute of Public Works Engineers Australasia (IPWEA) NZ Excellence Awards held in Wellington earlier this month.

The $13m project to improve safety at the busy intersection was co-funded by the NZ Transport Agency, Napier City Council and Hawke’s Bay Airport, and completed last year in September.

Rob Partridge, Senior Project Manager at the NZ Transport Agency says, “We are absolutely thrilled with the recognition this project has received. We know that much of the project’s success was because of the feedback and advice our community and stakeholders gave us. By setting up a ‘connection group’ with residents, estuary protection advocates and tangata whenua we were able to create an asset that the community can be proud of. We now have not only a safe intersection, but one that preserves the environment, visually tells our story and provides a fantastic new gateway to the region.”

He went on to say, “We couldn’t have delivered this project to such a high standard without our key consultants and contractors, OPUS, Stantec and Higgins along with our key partners and advisors, Mana Ahuriri, Tony Billings (wildlife expert) and Jacob Scott (artist).”

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Pakowhai / Links Road improvements is blessed

Waiohiki Marae blessed the new roundabout and other improvements on the Pakowhai / Links Road area  on April 12, at an event attended by many of those who worked on the project. 

Waiohiki Marae arranged for Mr Tamati Cairns, Ngati Paarau kaumatua to perform the blessing attended by stakeholders, marae partners and neighbours. Hastings District Councillor Ann Redstone, spoke of the wider importance of these works and the Watchman Road completion, while Waiohiki Marae spokesperson Dennis O’Reilly told stories incorporating the significance of the local history and the importance of these works for the marae.

Rob Partridge, Senior Project Manager of The NZ Transport Agency thanked Higgins and others involved in delivering the project, and emphasised the importance of making our roads safer. He said a key strategy to improve safety on the Hawke's Bay Expressway were the wire median barriers currently being installed that are proven to be highly effective in saving lives in head on crashes. “While we can’t stop people making mistakes and having crashes on our roads, we can lessen the impact. We can save lives.”

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ON THE GO: Current work sites update

Work began on the HB Expressway in February this year to improve nine areas in addition to major developments including Watchman Road and Links Road roundabouts that were completed last year and earlier this year. 

These are major safety and access improvements for our region, with significant investment of $36 Million. We are pleased with the progress of the safety improvements and we are looking at a completion date of the sections below by end of January 2020. 

There has been some concern noted about delays caused by agricultural vehicles using the Expressway. This is something we are researching and are endeavouring to have a solution to by the beginning of next year. 

Complete

  • Flaxmere to Longlands
  • Omahu to Flaxmere.

Underway

  • Evenden to Omahu – Construction due to be complete at end of July
  • Pakowhai to Evenden – Construction due to be complete in November
  • Meeanee to TutaeKuri River – Construction due to be complete in September
  • Kennedy to Meeanee – Construction due to be complete in September
  • Prebensen to Taradale (Rd) – Construction due to be complete in November.

Programmed 

  • Taradale (Rd) to Kennedy - Construction programmed for October
  • Watchman to Prebensen - Construction programmed September 2019 to January 2020
  • Paki Paki to Longlands - Construction programmed March 2020 to September 2020.
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Median barriers help prevent head-on crashes

Wire median barriers save lives. International studies show that up to 9 out of 10 people will survive a crash if they hit a median barrier. Wire median barriers are also narrow and suit New Zealand roads, so they are an excellent safety choice. Forty-six people have been seriously injured on the Hawke's Bay Expressway in the last 10 years. These barriers are a proven way for us to increase the safety of this road.

It’s hard to visualise as you drive alongside the wire median barriers how they actually work. They’re very powerful and quite ingenious. When a vehicle hits the barriers the high-tension wire cables flex, slowing down the vehicle and redirecting it away from the hazard (this could be an oncoming car, or if it’s the side of the road it could be a tree or a ditch for example).

This flexibility means that the barrier absorbs impact energy, reducing the force on the people in the vehicles, resulting in less severe injuries than other safety barrier systems and from collisions with roadside hazards or other vehicles.

Depending on the speed and angle of the impact a number of posts may bend over. This is how the posts are designed and does not lessen the safety benefits. Flexible road safety barriers are designed so they should not penetrate the passenger compartment of a vehicle, and the vehicle remains upright during and after a collision. They are also designed so that after impact the vehicle should not be deflected into an adjacent traffic lane.

During winter the NZ Transport Agency will be running a media campaign on median barriers and the safety improvements being installed on the Expressway. Look out for this on social media and share it with your friends.


*Johansson, R. (2009). Vision Zero – Implementing a Policy for Traffic Safety. Safety Science. 47(6), 826-831.

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More information

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For more information on the Hawke's Bay Expressway improvements project, contact us at HBExpressway@NZTA.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/hawkes-bay-expressway

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