Vehicles travelling on SH3, near Big Jim's Garden Centre

Making progress with safety improvements from Waitara to Bell Block

As you will be aware, NZTA has been investigating SH3 between Waitara and Bell Block to find ways to help improve road safety, reduce crashes and ease congestion.

In mid-2018, we sent out a project update that talked about the community open days we had held, and the input we had received and were factoring in to our planning. You may also have seen that in November 2018, the Government confirmed it would be putting $29 million of funding towards the improvements.

We’re now pleased to share that the safety improvement project will be starting next month and the first stage of the project will remove the northbound passing lane between Mahoetahi Road and Raleigh Street.

NZTA’s Acting Director Regional Relationships Ross I’Anson says this work recognises the urban growth along the SH3 corridor and will make the road safer for all those who use it.

“The Transport Agency is committed to making New Zealand’s roads safer, and the safety improvement project between Waitara and Bell Block is all about reducing deaths and serious injuries on what we know is a high-risk route in Taranaki.

“Removing the northbound passing lane near Richmond Road will make allowances for the introduction of a wide shoulder, meaning it’ll be safer for drivers to pull over and allowing more room for cyclists.

“By removing the passing lane we’ll also be able to mark a wide centreline on the road, providing greater separation for opposing traffic and reducing the likelihood of head-on crashes,” says Mr I’Anson.

Next steps

NZTA will continue to progress improvements that do not require a complex design, as well as working through the designs for the larger improvements to SH3 between Waitara and Bell Block over the winter months of 2019, when weather conditions make roadworks unsuitable.

These further improvements are some of the safety measures we’ve mentioned previously, including roundabouts, wide shoulders, wide centrelines, right-turn bays and barriers.

Once the complex design stage is completed, which will include obtaining and necessary statutory consents, the confirmed safety improvements will be implemented in the Waitara to Bell Block corridor through the summer of 2019-20 and into the summer of 2020-21.

More information

For more information on the SH3 Waitara to Bell Block project, contact us at w2bb@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/w2bb