Designing a solution and long-term plans to help improve the safety of road users in a busy corridor

Cambridge and Piarere Expressway Safety Improvements

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi faced a challenge on a busy traffic corridor. The stretch of road between Cambridge and Piarere, one of the country’s busiest regional highways with more than 30,000 vehicles using this route daily, had a high crash risk resulting in serious injuries. In an effort to reduce road incidences, they enlisted us to help improve the safety of road users.

We developed long-term plans for an extension of the Waikato Expressway from Cambridge to Piarere. First, we needed to engage with nearby communities and the whenua partners to learn how changes to this stretch of road would affect them. By connecting with local communities, providing them with clear technical answers, and listening to their input, we found ways to reduce the impact of disruptions during construction. Additionally, we provided interim measures to immediately improve and address road safety on this four-lane expressway. Our services included placing median barriers, turnarounds, and roundabouts—we delivered cost and time savings to the client and community through placing value-engineered turnarounds at local intersections.

To date, these measures have already reduced incidences and they’re doing what it’s meant to do—in a first step for the New Zealand Transport Agency to make the road safer for commuters one step at a time.