Wright Rd residents in the Western Bay of Plenty continue to battle against the installation of median barriers on State Highway 2.

The barriers were installed on SH2 between Katikati and Ōmokoroa in 2020.

Residents have continued to protest the installation.

Safety and financial concerns have been raised by local businesses and residents who have made a fourth unsuccessful attempt to meet with NZ Transport Waka Kotahi representatives.

Wright Rd community group representative Rochelle Zajko said all attempts so far have been ignored.

However, NZTA said it has engaged with the community since 2017 and adjusted the project scope.

In an email to NZTA, seen by SunLive, Zajkpo said they urgently want to meet with NZTA.

“Due to serious safety concerns for residents, detrimental impacts on our local economy, the road section is now more unsafe than when it had previous right-hand-turn improvement.”

The median barriers on State Highway 2 in Aongatete. Photo / David Hall

NZTA response

In response, NZTA told SunLive that since the safety improvements project between Waihī and Ōmokoroa began in 2017, there have been multiple rounds of engagement and consultation with the community, businesses, emergency services and industry groups.

“The NZTA board has already reconsidered plans and changed the scope of the project considerably as a result,” said the NZTA spokesperson.

“The board’s decision is based on examining the evidence presented for a range of options to take this project forward.

“NZTA is aware there are a range of views in the community about this issue and that not everyone is satisfied with the decision, but the board has determined this approach appropriately balances travel impacts for local journeys and safety for all road users.”

The spokesperson confirmed that NZTA will continue to assess the safety of the road corridor as part of the improvement project.

Impact of the median barriers on local businesses

Bruce Porter, of trucking company BR & SL Porter Ltd – Transport & Storage, said he worried about his drivers’ safety.

According to Porter, NZTA’s new median barriers have affected Aongatete businesses along SH2 because they stop them from being able to turn right in and out of the businesses.

Local businesses said the median barriers are causing difficulties. Photo / David Hall

Drivers often travelled to and from The Wine Portfolio, and without turning right, the trucks had to perform several manoeuvres before they could get onto the road, Porter said.

“We can go into the winery from the Tauranga side, however, there is no way can we exit this site with large vehicles going towards the Katikati way due to the Armco railing.”

The median barriers on State Highway 2 in Aongatete. Photo / David Hall

Porter said Mainfreight was also facing difficulties getting in and out of the winery, and both transport companies operate there daily.

He said the Seeka Packhouse also had the same predicament.

Porter recalled he was driving one day, and a bus had to stop on the motorway to let him out.

After getting back onto the highway, they have to drive a further couple of kilometres before they get to a roundabout so that they can make a u-turn.

Porter said the roundabouts were very tight, “especially when the units are 23m long and the wheels are up sitting around the centre of the roundabout, which is not good for the vehicle and it’s not good for the road. And they haven’t taken into account that the new vehicles are longer”.

Porter said it’s also challenging to stay within the lane, which makes it dangerous.

In one instance, he was driving down the highway towards Morton Rd and a car came out of one of the driveways on the other side of the road and travelled down in the opposite direction because he [the driver] couldn’t be bothered travelling the extra distance.

He said the driver would have had to drive another 6km if they had gone the right way. “I feel sorry for those people.”

For the trucking company, these road changes had created a financial burden, Porter said.

“It’s costing us roughly $4 a kilometre, so we’re back $8 off the bottom line before fuel tax, wages and everything else.

“We might go there three to four or five times a day, that starts adding up.”

Response from an NZTA spokesperson

“In August, the NZTA board decided to complete the two further roundabouts and wide centrelines for the safety improvement project, maintaining all right-turning movements on remaining intersections along the corridor, but not to continue with the remainder of the median barrier installation,” said an NZTA spokesperson.

"As a key corridor for the Port of Tauranga, all roundabouts and safety improvements between Waihī and Ōmokoroa were designed to accommodate large trucks. The roundabouts have a 36 metre outside diameter which enables the turning of a high productivity motor vehicle (HPMV) 25m truck-trailer unit.

"State Highway 2 is a limited access highway, so anyone with a driveway onto the highway needs to provide an access that is fit for purpose for the vehicles that will use it and must ensure their driveway can accommodate the movements of delivery vehicles."

The board made the decision that all other improvements should remain.

They said the safety of the 15,000 vehicles travelling this section of state highway daily was paramount. Road users are growing by about 2-3% each year.

“Throughout the lifetime of this project, there have been multiple rounds of engagement and consultation with the community.”