A safety upgrade of the State Highway 1 and State Highway 93 intersection in Mataura has been included in the NZ Transport Agency’s 2021-24 national land transport programme announced last week.
Mataura Community Board chairman Alan Taylor said the announcement the agency had included the upgrade of the intersection in the programme was ‘‘exceptionally good news’’.
The community board had been lobbying for changes to the intersection for about 10 years, he said.
In 2019, the agency presented community members with options of increasing signage; putting in a roundabout; moving the railway line further east to allow space for a truck and trailer to stop; moving the state highway west to allow space for a truck and trailer to stop; using another road to bypass the intersection; or installing traffic lights.
Barrier arms for the railway lines which also bisect the intersection were included in every option.
They were estimated to cost $1million in 2019.
Community members opted for the installation of traffic lights.
Last year the agency delayed funding for the project.
An agency spokesman said the upgrade was still being evaluated by its safety team to see which category of funding it might fit under.
‘‘Once we have a bit more clarity on that, we can have more assurance of its progression in the next three years.
‘‘At this stage it is too soon to confirm any of the details discussed earlier to make it a safer intersection.’’
