MEDIA RELEASE

13 June 2017

Stay safe and know before you go during Fieldays

Fieldays gets underway this week from early Wednesday morning through to the end of Saturday and we are urging people to plan their journeys before they leave.

People using the State Highways around the Bay of Plenty and Waikato should allow extra time when travelling during the morning and evening.

The NZ Transport Agency Highways Manager, Karen Boyt, says it is also winter so pre-planning is essential if drivers want to enjoy safe travel and avoid delays.

“People should allow extra time when driving during Fieldays because of the increase in traffic on the roads and the fact that it’s winter.

“In winter, weather and road conditions can change in a relatively short period of time so know before you go and regularly check while travelling if it’s safe to do so.”

Ms Boyt says there are a number of ways to check what’s happening on the roads

“The best place to get advice is on our website, our social media or by calling call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 4444 49) to speak to the call centre team who can provide you with traffic and travel information.”

Based on past experience, people should look-out for congestion around Huntly, alongside Lake Karapiro through to the intersection with SH1 and SH29 and on the roads around Mystery Creek and the Hamilton urban area.

There will be a number of worksites underway during Fieldays including the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway, the new pedestrian underpass of Cobham Drive and the safety improvement work on SH3 between Ohaupo and Te Awamutu. These projects will allow for two-way traffic to keep people moving as safely as possible.

A roadworks moratorium will also be in place in some parts of Bay of Plenty and Waikato.

Tools for road users

• We have set up a Fieldays section of our website: journeys.nzta.govt.nz/waikato/traffic-dashboard

• You can phone 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 4444 49) to speak to the call centre team who can provide you with traffic and travel information.

• #fieldays2017. Social media users heading to Fieldays can share their travel experiences by using the hashtag #fieldays2017. Our National Travel Information Service team who will be standing by to answer any queries and let people know about any incidents on the key routes to and from the Fieldays.

• Travel Time Information - a network of units which use Bluetooth technology have been placed at Fieldays and key central North Island towns such as Tauranga, Rotorua, Hamilton and Cambridge. The devices use Bluetooth technology to record actual travel times for vehicles between the location of the trackers and Mystery Creek.

People may also want to think about using either the new Park and Ride service at ‘The Base’ being offered by Fieldays or the bus route from the centre of Hamilton out to Fieldays.http://www.fieldays.co.nz/PicsHotel/Fieldays/Brochure/Free%20Buses%20to%20Fieldays%202017%202%20-%20Focus.pdf

Simple rules for safe winter travelling

• Allow extra time

• Ensure your vehicle is safe for winter driving (external link)

• Drive to the road and weather conditions

• Slow down and be prepared for unexpected hazards

• Allow greater following distance between you and the vehicle ahead

• Make sure your cell phone is well charged, check car charger also

• Have blankets, snacks, bottles of water ready in case of emergency or a breakdown.

Lions Games

There will be two games on the Lions Tour happening in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, the Lions are playing the Māori All Blacks in Rotorua on Saturday night and they are then playing the Chiefs in Hamilton on Tuesday night. People should expect heavy traffic conditions around the region on those days as people travel to and from the venues.

© Scoop Media