The Government’s announcement of a $29 million project to improve the safety of SH3 between Bell Block and Waitara will ease the fears and frustrations of highway users, says Taranaki Regional Transport Committee Chairman Craig Williamson.

“We welcome this announcement warmly, as the key Committee that brings together all the players in regional transport planning. We’ve been pushing for improvements for a number of years,” says Craig, a Taranaki Regional Councillor.

“We agree with the Minister, the Hon Phil Twyford, that there’ve been too many deaths and injuries. It’s an important road, one of the busiest in Taranaki, and it needs to be made as safe as possible.”

In his announcement, Mr Twyford acknowledged that the community had been asking for safety improvements for some time.

Work will begin in February and the improvements will include safety upgrades between Raleigh St and Waiongana Stream. Over the next three years, a new right turn pocket on SH3 into Wills Road will be built, with an extension of the right turn pocket into Corbett Road following. The highway will aslo be widened between Wills/Corbett and Mahoetahi Rd.

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