The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is to carry out safety improvement works on the State Highway 57 from State Highway 1 to Shannon in order to improve safety of motorists.

The safety improvement works will be performed in two phases.

In the first phase, the safety improvement works will be carried out on the highway between Heatherlea East Road and Shannon, Horowhenua, New Zealand. 

The second phase work will be performed in coordination with the Otaki to north of Levin section of the Wellington northern corridor, which is reported to be one of the government’s roads of national significance.

NZTA manager Ross I'Anson explained that they have gathered inputs from the stakeholders such as the Road Transport Association, as well as local authorities and community groups, with an objective to make road safer for the commuters.

I'Anson added that these inputs have helped them in deciding on the first stage of the safety improvements.

Between 2005 and 2015, eight people are reported to have died on this section of the road and nearly 39 have been seriously injured.

"Between 2005 and 2015, eight people are reported to have died on this section of the road and nearly 39 have been seriously injured."

I'Anson said: “Traffic volumes in the area have also been growing steadily and we calculate they will increase by around 2% each year.

“By using internationally proven approaches, we can make this road safer and more forgiving of human error.”

Crossing the centreline, head-on crashes, losing control on bends and running off the road, and hitting hazards such as trees, power poles and ditches, were some of the major causes of the accidents that took place on this part of the highway.

Safety improvements works will see installation of flexible roadside safety barriers to prevent vehicles hitting hazards, broader centrelines that will increase the gap between the vehicles travelling in opposite directions, installation of rumble strips, and a wider sealed shoulder at the side of the road.

Works on the State Highway 57 are part of the NZ$600m ($420m) nationwide road safety programme announced by New Zealand Transport Minister Simon Bridges in June last year.

The programme is part of the government’s Safer Journeys road safety strategy.