Work to improve safety on route through Wairarapa underway

Associate Minister of Transport Kieran McAnulty was joined this morning by the Mayors of Carterton and Masterton, local Iwi and members of the Wairarapa community to turn the first sod on a package of crucial safety improvements for State Highway 2 in Wairarapa.

“The work to improve safety on this critical route through Wairarapa will protect our community by significantly reducing the risk of people killed and seriously injured on our roads,” Kieran McAnulty said.

“Wairarapa is a growing region and so the pressure and reliance on our roads has increased significantly. I, alongside the community, have raised concerns about the risks involved in this route for some time ago as maintenance of the roads had not kept up with the rate of growth.

“As the local MP for Wairarapa I’m incredibly pleased to see this work begin and to have played a role in ensuring the concerns of Wairarapa community are addressed.

“The work started today includes three new roundabouts at Ngaumutawa Road, Norfolk Road and East Taratahi Road; flexible safety barriers in various locations on the highway between Masterton and Carterton; road widening; and new signage.

“As part of these improvements we’re making sure to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe with new pedestrian facilities to make it safer for school children and others to cross the road, and sections of off-road cycling paths.

“There has been talks of improving this stretch of State Highway 2 since long before I was at Masterton District Council in 2016 and so to be able to mark the beginning of construction as Associate Minister of Transport is a massive honour.

“Everyone travelling on our roads needs to be able to get to their destination and back again without risk, and today is another step towards ensuring Kiwis are safe on our roads,” Kieran McAnulty said.

Construction of these safety improvements is expected to take two years.

(With Inputs from New Zealand Government Press Release)