Have your say and help shape a safer drive between Mosgiel and Balclutha

The community will have another opportunity to have a say on safety improvements planned for State Highway 1 between Mosgiel and Balclutha this week.

The NZ Transport Agency will be at the Otago Taieri A&P Show on Saturday, 27 January to talk about possible road safety improvements and get feedback from people who use the road.

Transport Agency System Manager, Graeme Hall says the project team attended the South Otago and Tokomairiro A&P Shows last year and received valuable feedback from locals.

“As everyday users of the road, residents were able to share their personal insights, such as the impact of wind on journeys along the route, and lack of visibility at intersections. This first-hand knowledge will help us develop the most appropriate safety solutions for this stretch of road. We are keen to get back out into the community and hear from more people as we progress this project.”

In the 10 years to the end of 2015, 12 people died and 66 were seriously injured on the route. Many of these crashes happened when drivers ran off the road and hit trees or power poles. There were also a number of head-on crashes.

“We want to make changes to the road so that simple mistakes don’t cost lives,” says Mr Hall.

“We are considering adding safety barriers to catch vehicles if they leave their lane and widening the road shoulder where possible to give drivers room to recover if they lose control.

“We’d encourage anyone who’s interested to come and see us at the Otago Taieri A&P Show or share their views online or by mail.”

Otago Taieri A&P Show
Saturday, 27 January 2018, 10am – 4.30pm
320 Gordon Road, Mosgiel

• Safety improvements to SH1 between Mosgiel to Balclutha are part of the $600 million Safe Roads and Roadsides Programme for reducing deaths and serious injuries on high-risk rural highways.
• Find out more about the project and how to have your say at nzta.govt.nz/sh1-m2b

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