Two people have died and more than 30 have been seriously injured on the 10km stretch of Dunedin's Southern Motorway from Mornington Rd to Mosgiel in the 10 years from 2006 to 2015.
The crashes have prompted the NZ Transport Agency to spend between $3.4 million and $5.1 million on safety improvements to the stretch of road, with work expected to begin by mid-year.
Additional stretches of side barriers will be added to both sides of the motorway, and at the Mosgiel end of the motorway the centre line will be widened or a median barrier installed to prevent confusion for motorists.
High performance road markings will also be used along the motorway to improve visibility at night and in wet conditions.
NZTA project team manager Simon Underwood said no formal date had been set for the work to start, but it was planned to be under way this winter.
``The Southern Motorway is a busy route and there is likely to be some degree of disruption but these works will be managed to avoid traffic flows in the morning and evening peak hours,'' he said.
The agency had budgeted between $3.4 million and $5.1 million to allow for various options of the Mosgiel-end centre divide.
There was a possibility of extending the median barrier south of the Mosgiel interchange to Braeside Rd, which would cost more than a widened centre line throughout that stretch of road, Mr Underwood said.
``A decision [on the centre divide] is likely late May/early June, but this will not delay the main works getting under way,'' he said.
NZTA Southern region business unit manager Ian Duncan said the improvements were expected to be completed by late 2017 or early 2018.
``These improvements will make this busy motorway safer for all users,'' he said. ``It will help reduce the impact of road crashes upon people.
``Most fatal and serious injury crashes on this route are caused by drivers running off the road.''
Almost 90% of the fatal and serious injury crashes involved a vehicle hitting a roadside hazard such as a tree, fence or ditch.
``The safety measures planned on this section of motorway will reduce these types of crashes, and when they do occur, people will be less likely to be killed or seriously injured,'' Mr Duncan said.
The improvements were part of the Government's $600million ``Safe Road and Roadsides'' programme aimed at reducing the road toll throughout the country.
``The goal is to make many rural routes on the highway network safer over the next six years,'' he said.
``It aims to prevent 900 deaths and serious injury crashes nationwide over 10 years through relatively simple measures such as rumble strips, road shoulder widening, safety barriers, better signage and speed limit changes.''
State Highway 1 from Oamaru to Dunedin, Mosgiel to Balclutha and Invercargill to Motu Rimu Rd, as well as SH88 from Dunedin to Port Chalmers, were also the focus of projects under the programme at present.
