Improved safety is the focus of roading projects proposed for Otago over the next three years.
The $452 million transport programme is being considered by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).
It comprises road projects, maintenance and repair across the region for the three years to 2015, and is essentially Otago's bid for funding through the National Land Transport Fund administered by the NZTA.
The Otago regional transport committee received 91 submissions from various groups, organisations and individuals on the Otago Regional Land Transport Programme 2012-15, which was tweaked as a result.
It was then considered and approved by the Otago Regional Council (ORC) before being submitted to the NZTA for inclusion in the National Land Transport Programme, due to be finalised in August.
Acting ORC chairman David Shepherd said many factors determined whether funding was made available to deliver the programme, some of which depended upon participating agencies, including Otago's five district councils.
"The final decision on which activities to fund nationally rests with the NZTA board, which approves a programme allocating the National Land Transport Fund," he said.
As well as compiling Otago-specific NZTA and local authority transport activities into a single plan, the programme recommended how the NZTA should prioritise use of national funding available to Otago.
It proposed expenditure of $452 million over the next three years, about $417 million of which qualified for an NZTA subsidy of about $293 million.
Otago's district councils planned to spend about $35 million - roughly 8% of the total programme - on projects which were not eligible for subsidies.
Cr Shepherd said Otago's poor road safety performance during the three years to 2012 meant most new projects aimed to address safety-related issues.
Proposals included the improvement of intersections and other accident hotspots, the provision of safe roads for all users not just drivers, and further driver information and education.
The programme also aimed to ensure roads used by heavy freight traffic were well maintained.
Key projects for which funding was sought included the investigation and design of a replacement Beaumont bridge, strengthening of the Clydevale bridge and improvement of Harington Point Rd along Otago Peninsula.
