The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is planning to initiate safety improvement works on a stretch of rural State Highway 34 west of Te Teko to Kawerau by the end of January.

The safety improvement works include installation of rumble strips on parts of the 100km/h area, extending the existing safety barriers where there are steep banks, upgrading the barrier beneath the overbridge, upgrading some signage and removing trees.

The safety improvement project worth NZ$540,000 ($393,190) is expected to be complete by the end of March.  The work is dependent on fine weather.

The New Zealand Transport Agency Bay of Plenty State Highways manager Niclas Johansson said: “Two people died and 15 were seriously injured on this section of SH34, between 2005 and 2014.

“Most of the deaths and serious injuries on this road are caused by motorists running off the road and hitting trees, poles or deep ditches.

"These safety measures will improve the road to prevent crashes like these, and to make sure if a crash happens, people are less likely to be killed or seriously injured.”

Johansson further explained that the road improvements work would risk of crashes, make the stretch of road safer for the commuters.

"These safety measures will improve the road to prevent crashes like these, and to make sure if a crash happens, people are less likely to be killed or seriously injured."

The safety improvement work that will be carried out on the State Highway 34 is part of Safer Journeys, the government’s strategy to improve the safety of our roads.

The New Zealand Government’s NZ$600m ($436m) programme is underway to make many rural routes on the State Highway network safer which will be completed over the next six years.

The new initiative aims to prevent deaths and serious injuries caused on roads by through simple measures such as rumble strips, shoulder widening, safety barriers, better signage and changes to speed limits.

Image: Road with signs and safety barriers. Photo: courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net / winnond.