SH3 Ohaupo to Te Awamutu - runs like clock-work
Work began in October last year on safety improvements to SH3, between Ohaupo and Te Awamutu as part of the $600 million Safe Roads and Roadsides programme. With this busy commuter highway carrying around 11,000 vehicles per day there have been a high number of crashes on the road resulting in death or serious injury. The improvements, which include many kilometres of road safety barrier from CSP, are intended to prevent further casualties like these.
The installation of flexible wire rope safety barrier and semi-rigid steel guardrail, widening of centrelines and improvement of road markings are intended specifically to reduce the risk of run off the road crashes. Several intersections were also improved and further pull over areas for vehicles added.
Jasmine Ellery, Project Manager for Broad Spectrum was in charge of the installation of the road safety barrier. “The whole project went remarkably well,” says Jasmine. “The soil conditions were good, communication from the stakeholder was excellent and all the suppliers did their bit. So it all came together really well. The way this project was managed is a credit to Safe Roads. It’s not often projects run as smoothly as this.”
“This was quite a big job with about 12 kms of highway involved and well over 5 kms of barrier installed but it all went smoothly,” says Bruce Stephens, Sales Engineer for CSP. “Both barrier products used by Safe Roads - the Nu-Guard® 31 Steel Post Guardrail System which has the lowest deflection performance on the market, and the Armorwire Wire Rope Barrier which is the most effective system available - will definitely make this highway a lot safer for motorists and locals.” Flexible wire rope road safety barrier is much more forgiving on the human body in a collision than other types of barrier as it redirects the vehicle gently, thereby significantly reducing the impact on the people in the vehicle. “Well done to Safe Roads for a very well run project,” adds Bruce. |
Product supplied:
- Nu-Guard® 31 Steel Post Guardrail System x 1.430kms
- X-350 Fully Re-directive Terminal End x 25
- Trailing End Terminal x 1
- Armorwire Wire Rope Barrier x 4.3kms
- Armorwire Terminal Ends x 68
The Safe Roads and Roadsides Programme will see safety improvements made to more than 90 high-risk sites on rural State Highways in 14 regions. The safety upgrades will target causes of crashes and include a mix of road improvements, realignment of corners in some areas to improve visibility, side barriers, median barriers, rumble strips, wider centrelines, road marking and improved signage.
The work is being carried out by the Safe Roads on behalf of the Government. The Alliance is made up of the NZ Transport Agency and infrastructure consultancies Bloxam Burnett and Olliver (BBO) Beca and Northern Civil Consulting.
The formation of the Safe Roads and Roadsides programme means that design principles and guidelines, as set out in the programme, can be consistently implemented across all projects around the country and monitored to ensure a standardised approach.