Emma Speight, Director of Regional Relationships, says from 8 February to 30 June, contractors will install new side and median barriers along the Ruby Bay Bypass between the Dominion Road and Harley Road intersections. They will also carry out road-widening and drainage work as well.

“These road safety barriers will literally be life-changing for drivers.  Research shows median barriers virtually eliminate head-on crashes and reduce deaths and serious injuries from run-off-road crashes by around 40-50 percent.”

“These barriers catch vehicles before they hit something harder, like a pole, tree or oncoming car,” Ms Speight says.

Ms Speight says a small mistake on the road can have tragic consequences – not just for the drivers and passengers affected, but also for their family and friends who have to live with the consequences of a serious crash.

Head-on crashes are the leading cause of death on state highways and account for approximately half of all deaths recorded. Safety barriers offer a second chance. They help reduce the chance of a simple mistake costing lives and destroying families.”

Barrier locations

• The median barrier will be on State Highway 60 from the Dominion Road intersection to the Harley Road intersection.
• There will be breaks within the median barrier at Gardner Valley Road, Tasman View Road, and Stagecoach Road (the entrance closer to Mapua) intersections. These intersections will continue to operate how they currently do.
• A right-hand turn bay will be installed on Tasman View Road. There will also be a gap at the forestry access road approximately one-kilometre past Tasman View Road and Stagecoach Road (the entrance closer to Motueka). These intersections will be left-in / left-out, except for emergency vehicles, which can use them as turnaround points during an emergency.

Ms Speight says every effort is being made to make sure the new safety measures can be installed as efficiently as possible. Wide centre lines are already in place in sections of the state highway where the median barrier will be installed.

“We are working with our contractor on traffic management to ensure disruptions for drivers are minimised and are looking at keeping the highway open in both directions during the day.”

“There will be temporary speed limits in place while work is underway, and road users can expect delays. We ask drivers to be patient and follow all traffic management in place. It is there to keep drivers and our road crews safe,” Ms Speight says.

More details about the specific work sites, project schedules, and impact on traffic will be released soon, and will be regularly updated as work proceeds.

Electric vehicles to pay road user charges – www.beehive.govt.nz

From 1 April, EV owners will need to buy a RUC licence and display it on their windscreen. They will be able to buy their RUC licence online through the NZTA website, or in person at an NZTA agent, from 1 April.

While EV owners won’t be able to buy their RUC licence before 1 April, they will have until 31 May to buy their licence without risk of penalty.

About RUC

Everyone who uses New Zealand roads contributes to their upkeep in some way.

Most pay through levies paid at the petrol pump (known as fuel excise duty) while others such as diesel vehicles pay distance-based road user charges.

Fuel excise duty and road user charges go towards the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) which pays for maintaining and improving New Zealand’s roads. 

EVs owners have been exempt from paying RUC since 2009. The exemption was put in place until EVs reached around 2 percent of New Zealand’s light vehicle fleet. This point has now been reached and there are around 100,000 light EVs on our roads, so the government has decided to let the exemption expire.

The end of the exemption means that EVs owners will contribute to the costs of the transport system in the same way as the owners other vehicles.

How much EV owners will need to pay

When someone buys RUC, they pay ahead of time of the distance they’re going to travel, in units of 1000km.

The RUC rate for light EVs will be $76 per 1000km and for PHEVs it will be $53 per 1000km (recognising that they also pay tax in the price of their petrol).

The first time an EV owner buys their RUC licence they’ll need to give their odometer reading at the time of purchase. If they give an inaccurate odometer reading, it may be picked up at the vehicle’s next WOF and the owner may be invoiced for any difference.

Next steps

NTZA is contacting EV owners this month to give them a heads-up about the change and letting them know they don’t need to do anything now. We’ll contact them again in March with more detail on what they need to do and how they buy their licence.

Stay up to date with RUC changes for electric vehicles. Go to:

www.nzta.govt.nz/ruc-ev

www.nzta.govt.nz/about-ruc

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi advises the closures will take place daily between 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Thursday, to allow contractors to replace a section of handrail and repair broken and loose decking planks. The closure may be extended to Friday morning between 8.30am and 12pm (midday) if required, to finish the work.

“Due to the narrow width of the bridge a full closure is required to ensure this work can be carried out safely,” says Frankie Evans, Bay of Plenty Journey Manager for NZ Transport Agency.

“We planned this work to coincide with the school holidays when there is less traffic on the road, so fewer people will be inconvenienced.

“The routine maintenance of the Pekatahi Bridge is a coordinated effort to get the best outcome possible for all involved,” Ms Evans says.

A detour will be in place for northbound traffic, using Tāneatua Road, Arawa Road, Hinemoa Street and onto State Highway 30 towards Awakeri. Southbound traffic should use the same route, in reverse. This detour is expected to add up to 20 minutes to journey times and is suitable for all vehicles, including High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMV).

“SH2 is an important route for many, and we make every effort to combine our maintenance activities on the Pekatahi Bridge, to minimise the period of time the bridge has to be closed.

“A lot of planning work is involved in ensuring the right result, and we’d also like to acknowledge the assistance of Whakatāne District Council, who allow the detour route on their local roads,” says Ms Evans.

The bridge will be re-opened ahead of Auckland Anniversary weekend, ensuring holidaymakers can reach their destination as quickly as possible.

View printable Pekatahi detour map