News & Media Releases

Crash barrier will save lives

14 May 2004

Installation of a new crash barrier on SH1 at Rangiriri will save lives and reduce the number of fatal and serious injury crashes.

The crash barrier is part of a Transit New Zealand 10km safety upgrade between Rangiriri and the Hampton Downs interchange, costing $5.75 million. Construction work has begun.

Transit Regional Manager Colin Knaggs said the existing lanes are being widened to accommodate a central wire rope barrier to reduce the number of head-on crashes. Intersections are receiving a safety makeover and the verges on either side of the highway are being made safer.

Mr Knaggs said that while the number of fatal and serious injury crashes will drop significantly, the number of minor crashes could rise.

“We are installing the barrier on a relatively narrow 1.5m central median. Until now, drivers who crossed the centre line had an opportunity to recover and return to their lane without hitting anything, providing there was nothing coming the other way. With a barrier in place, they may hit the barrier if they stray across the centre of the highway.

“Overseas and local experience tells us that these barrier collisions are minor in nature. However they may contribute to an increase in the number of minor crashes along this section of SH 1,” Mr Knaggs said. “However, we believe that the priority should be preventing fatalities on a section of road that currently experiences twice the national average of fatalities. These measures will contribute significantly to this aim. Identical safety measures have already been installed on SH 58 near Wellington with pleasing results to date.”

The barrier will extend between two sections of four-lane expressway – the Rangiriri to South of Ohinewai four-lane expressway (completed last year) and the southern section of Mercer to Longswamp four-lane expressway (also completed last year). By mid-2006, SH 1 from Bombay to just north of Huntly will feature wide 9m grass medians or wire rope barriers separating the opposing traffic flows.

Sections of the new wire rope barrier can be laid flat in emergencies to provide access for police, ambulance and fire vehicles, or to provide traffic detours or diversions.

Transit will also seek to provide 9m wide ‘clear zones’ on both sides of the highway to minimise the chances of injury when vehicles stray off the highway. Where possible, trees will be removed, poles relocated, and drains piped and filled. Where obstacles cannot be removed, wire rope barriers will be placed around them.

Transit has let the construction contract to Fulton Hogan. The contract includes:

highway widening to provide for the 1.5m wide central median
installation of the wire rope barrier
clearing and protection works in the clear zones
safety improvements to the Rangiriri Road, Glen Murray Road, Te Kauwhata Road, Plantation Road, Wayside Road, Glen Murray Road and Te Wheoro Road intersections.

Construction will begin shortly and is expected to be completed by early 2005. Initial road widening may require lane closures and the introduction of a temporary speed limit, as will the installation of the median barrier. However this process will be actively managed to minimise the effects on road users.

Since opening the 10km section of expressway south of Rangiriri a year ago, the wire rope barrier there has prevented at least nine vehicles crossing the centreline into on-coming traffic. Except for one minor injury accident, all have been non-injury crashes.

NEWS MEDIA:

For further information, contact:
Colin Knaggs,
Regional Manager,
Ph 07 957 1610.

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