Median barriers considered for parts of State Highway 6

Sunday, 3 November 2019

State Highway 6 between Blenheim and Nelson is being considered for speed reductions and safety barriers.

Median barriers for parts of the highway between Blenheim and Nelson are being investigated, alongside controversial speed limit cuts.

New Zealand Transport Agency director regional relationships Jim Harland said the agency's national review included looking at median barriers and intersections on highways such as State Highway 6.

Trucking industry representatives say median barriers would make it difficult for wide loads to navigate the highway.

'We are investigating other improvements such as safety barriers, but one of the immediate actions we can take right now to prevent people from dying or being seriously injured is to reduce speed limits, so they are safe and right for the road.'

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NZTA said the assessment of safety interventions such as barriers would follow the speed limit review. Barriers could be considered with or without a speed limit reduction.

However, the barrier proposal has met similar opposition to the speed limit review from the trucking industry.

The speed limit review is considering cutting parts of the highway to 80kmh.

Road Transport Association area executive John Bond said that having a median barrier on the highway could get in the way of wide and heavy loads.

'From a transport perspective, we have wide and heavy loads going down that road and we cannot drive a wide load on one side without widening the road.

'If they are going to put a median barrier on the road then it should be repaired so it can carry the wide load to travel down there, and that's not going to happen because there isn't enough space,' he said.

'Barriers have their proper use, especially on motorways, but on a two lane road, having it stuck in the middle of the road is creating a problem.'

Driver culture changes and education would be a better focus, Bond said.

'They still allow drivers to drink alcohol to a certain point while driving a car, it's proven that alcohol kills, we don't have drug testing for drivers in this country like they do in other parts of the world.'

Bond said putting up a barrier and dropping the speed limit would not save lives.

'We don't think productivity is more important than people's lives but at this particular time, we don't also think putting up a barrier and slowing at 80kmh is protecting peoples' lives either.

'Slowing the speed down is one thing but slowing the speed down and causing accidents is a totally different story.'

Kaikoura MP Stuart Smith was also sceptical about the barriers, saying they would prevent over-taking which was essential to keep traffic flows moving over harvest season.

'Can you imagine the very long and very slow traffic jam that will form behind each and every grape harvester, followed by two tractors with their gondolas in tow during the months of vintage?

'Unless SH6 is significantly widened, with a median barrier in place there will be no opportunity for cars, trucks – or emergency service vehicles – to pass. The result would be chaos,' Smith said.

'Instead, the government should be looking to invest in more passing lanes, wider shoulders and other safety measures that make sense for our region's main thoroughfares and the way we and our industries use them.'