Whangarei to Te Hana Bypass Feedback Summary

Thanks to everyone who provided feedback at our recent open day or online – we had some great conversations about how we can make this stretch of road safer. A summary of the feedback is attached. It was great to hear from so many locals, to fully understand your concerns and how you use the road.

Understandably there has been some confusion because there are two projects in the area:

1. One looking at longer term improvements – extra lanes and a possible bypass of the Brynderwyns
2. One looking at the short term improvements – things that can be done now to make this road safer, before the long term work.

The consultation we have just had, and the attached summary, applies to the short term safety improvements we are looking at.

We are considering and consulted on the following safety improvements:

• Better signs and road markings to warn drivers of intersections, stop signs or sharp curves further down the road.
• Safer speeds can allow drivers time to react to a mistake and recover. And, if you do crash, lower speeds reduce the risk of being killed or seriously injured.
• Rumble strips give distracted drivers a wake-up call if they stray across the line.
• Safety barriers stop your vehicle before you hit something harder – like a tree, power pole or, in the case of median barriers, an oncoming vehicle.
• Wide centrelines are a simple way to steer drivers away from each other.
• Intersection improvements to help making turning safer and traffic flow better.
• Rest stops for drivers to take a break.
• Safer pull over areas for school buses to stop.

Please note if you have emailed us about anything to do with the other long term project it was forwarded on to the other team looking after this work. You can see their summary of feedback of the longer term options here.

In terms of next steps, we will be making decisions next year, using your feedback. Then, all going to plan, we’ll begin construction early next year, so we can make this road safer for everyone. We will keep you in the loop as we progress.

As always, feel free to get in touch if you have any questions. I hope you all have a relaxing and safe Christmas and New Year.