Waka Kotahi has responded to residents’ plea to make Haynes Bridge one lane.
Safety upgrades at a narrow bridge in rural Manawatū are “a good start”, but a lot more needs to be done, residents in the rural communitysay.
New signs and road markings make it clear Haynes Bridge near Cheltenham is no longer suitable for two lanes of traffic, but locals see them as mere relief measures.
They still want the narrow segment of State Highway 54 widened, steel barriers installed, the speed limit reduced and the road’s gradient eased.
They are adamant the narrowing of the highway at the bridge over Haynes Creek has contributed to five crashes in three years, the most serious being a fatal single-car collision on June 12, when a 23-year-old man was killed when his vehicle struck a concrete edge barrier.
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Warwick Smith/STUFF
Cheltenham Community Committee member Keith Robertson talks about the danger of the narrow Haynes Bridge.
District councillor Alison Short said she was pleased to see a give-way sign and the bridge converted to one-lane only when she drove Cheltenham-Hunterville Rd on Tuesday.
“It is definitely a good start. Waka Kotahi has kept its word to make improvements within the three-week timeframe. Nevertheless, the improvements may save lives.
“However, it is still not the perfect long-term solution.”
David Unwin/Stuff
Haynes Bridge and its new road markings, making it clear it’s for only one lane of traffic at a time.
Cheltenham Community Committee member Keith Robertson said there was also a need to reduce the speed limit.
“We are really glad to see that safety improvements were made as promised by the transport agency. This is a good start.
“The speed limit at the bridge should be lowered from 100kph to 70kph as the bridge is quite narrow. The speed limit should further go down to 50kph, close to the residential area in the village.”
WARWICK SMITH/Stuff
Cheltenham Community Committee member Keith Robertson, left, and district councillor Alison Short have been raising safety concerns over the narrow Haynes Bridge for a decade.
In a statement in June, Waka Kotahi said it was seeking funding to make the bridge wider.
Waka Kotahi data recorded four crashes near the bridge since 2018. While non-injury crashes occurred in 2018 and 2019, crashes causing minor injuries were recorded in 2020 and 2021. The recent fatal crash was not included.
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