March to close down SH2, north of Tauranga

The Wairoa Bridge where protests plan to stop traffic on Sunday.

Members of the community and from the Fix The Bloody Road group are protesting for what they say is a much needed upgrade of State Highway 2, between Katikati and Tauranga.

Taking place on Sunday September 16, they plan to block off the road from either side of the Wairoa Bridge at 3pm.

Once there is no traffic going over the bridge they plan on marching across it with signs and banners making as much noise as possible. This will go on for 30 minutes.

Andrew Hollis, who is a part of the Fix The Bloody Road group, says they want to make as much noise as possible.

'The stretch of road from the Wairoa Bridge to Katikati is the most dangerous stretch of road in regards to fatalities. Because the road isn't up to spec it needs to be widened with four lanes and a median.

'At the moment they are just cutting bits of corners to increase visibility and putting more paint on the roads. But putting more paint on the roads doesn't save lives.”

'Every time the siren goes at Omokoroa or Te Puna, everyone's hearts sink because we all know so many people that live out there and we just want to know that our community is safe and it's not at the moment. We don't know who's coming home or who's not, and it would be nice for that to go away,” says Andrew.

The march is happening on the same day as Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller and National Party Transport Spokesperson Jami-Lee Ross are holding a public meeting regarding SH2.

SH2 has become a hot topic between politicians in the last couple of weeks with the blame going back and forth between parties.

The march is taking place on Sunday September 16 with organisers asking to meet at Taniwha place reserve at 2.30pm.

For more information about the march: https://www.facebook.com/events/1726994200742759

The public meeting is taking place at Omokoroa Settlers' Hall from 4.30pm onwards.

For more information about the public meeting: https://www.facebook.com/events/2152678611469642/

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19 comments

Up to spec?!

Posted on 11-09-2018 07:39 | By Slim Shady

Whilst 4 lanes and a median would be nice, the real issue is that Kiwi drivers are not up to spec. So fix this bit of road, and they will find another "black spot" to drive like idiots on.


Get Out

Posted on 11-09-2018 08:26 | By tgacentral

Blocking a state highway for a personal agenda for half an hour is not on and likely to cause an accident with the levels of congestion and disruption to peoples lives and businesses they will cause.


Constructive Idea

Posted on 11-09-2018 08:41 | By The Sage

Have a permanent Police presence to catch people driving erratically, through Bethlehem. See it all the time, speeding through the shopping area, making dangerous manoevres. This would probably stop 50% of the accidents on that road.


All very well

Posted on 11-09-2018 08:54 | By Merlin

All very well for Todd Mudller to bleat on now .Why was not something achieved for this road while they were in Government for nine years.The road was used as voter bait with something to be achieved in their next term which they did not get.


so

Posted on 11-09-2018 09:09 | By dumbkof2

disruption of the most by the selfish few


Look at the issue

Posted on 11-09-2018 09:52 | By NJB

You can blame the road, you can blame the politicians and/or you can blame the drivers, but the fact of the matter is that this road is no-longer fit for purpose! When this road was built, we had just made the leap from horse & cart on gravel to motors on tar-seal, now we are part of the fastest growing city in NZ with the largest port. We may be proud of this, but we can't be proud of the fact that we are just sitting here watching people die at an horrific rate. This is the state of play TODAY & even if we started work tomorrow, it would be 5 years before it would be completed, how many people will have died by then?


No way

Posted on 11-09-2018 10:24 | By Chris

What a bunch of scumbags. Get in line, there are roads in desperate need of upgrading all over the place. You're not going to win any friends with this pathetic protest.


Looks like a political stunt

Posted on 11-09-2018 13:04 | By waxing

I don't ever remember there being any protests like this during all the time (9 years) the Nats were in office. So why all of a sudden now now?


Clingon

Posted on 11-09-2018 13:25 | By clingon

That is the perfect way to get those road users behind you- block their travel on the very road that is supposedly the problem. It is slow enough going on this road without having an ineffectual protest shutting it down. They want to make as much noise as possible, why? To annoy the locals? The MPs that make the decisions won't hear your noise if it doesn't go through the proper channels Until the road gets improved so that motorists don't even have to concentrate on their way into tauranga please drive to the road rules. Then no more crashes, simple...


Said it before

Posted on 11-09-2018 13:28 | By Centurion

and I'll say it again, and again, and again. Nothing wrong with the road, just the nuts behind the wheel making poor decisions. Put them on a four lane highway and they'll make the same poor decisions.


Who is resposible

Posted on 11-09-2018 15:14 | By Rod Smith

Who will be held responsible for any death caused by delay to get to Tauranga Hospital. A name please.


I agree ...

Posted on 11-09-2018 15:28 | By 2cents

It's not the roads it's the drivers


Arrest them

Posted on 11-09-2018 15:30 | By Kancho

Demonstrate to your hearts content well OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. Blocking a road is wrong and a huge inconvenience for travelling people that will cost time and money. It's a main highway with no logical detour. Imagine if there is an emergency with backed up traffic. Outrageous they should plan this. The police must get involved to stop them or arrest them if they proceed


block

Posted on 11-09-2018 20:11 | By dumbkof2

next week i am going to block the wairoa bridge demanding the govt give me more money. any bets on how long it will take to get arrested


Carpooling

Posted on 12-09-2018 04:15 | By Incendiary

If the status quo prevails and just like any other weekday is each protester will travel by car containing one occupant. Why assemble in Taniwha Place? Meet and Catch the bus from Omokoroa or Katikati. Novel idea? It's called PARK n RIDE. If only more commuters did this every day!


Excuses, excuses....

Posted on 12-09-2018 08:28 | By Wendy L

All very well for people say accidents are due to idiots on the road but with idiots on every road, why then is SH2 worse than others. Traffic on this road has increased heavily just in the last 10 yrs. It's not fit for purpose. Take your life in yr hands just pulling out from a side road. Areas of sunstrike on this road are multiple. Too many contributing factors and everyone who says it's only about "idiot drivers" is just being pig headed and choosing to close their eyes to the real issue. 30 mins disruption to traffic is nothing compared to disruption every day in peak hr or whenever there is another accident closing the road for 2-4 hrs. Time to get real


It isn't the road

Posted on 12-09-2018 12:22 | By Thoughts

Yes, the road is busy & carries a far higher volume of traffic than it was designed for. That doesn't make the road dangerous, just a road that requires a lot more concentration & respect. You don't take your life in your hands when joining the road, you make carefully thought out decisions! As for sun strike, a prime site for this is heading north, late afternoon at Te Puna Quarry Road, an accident black spot. I don't understand why all the crosses were put in that location, I would rather people paid attention to the road ahead & didn't have a reason to look sideways. Nice idea but dumb execution! The police have stated that that driver distraction & poor decision making lie at heart of the problem. Sorry for all those involved or affected by any of the accidents, not the roads fault though.


Take It To Parliament

Posted on 12-09-2018 14:30 | By Mommatum

While I agree that this upgrade is needed inconveniencing travellers is no way to achieve that. Also it will only serve to alienate potential support. What needs to happen instead is for this fight to be taken to its source which is Parliament itsself. Or alternatively Phil Twyford’s electorate office, and yes both options do involve travel (ironically by car), but the problem lies with this current government not individual motorists some of whom would agree with the core arguement.


Excuses, By?

Posted on 12-09-2018 18:22 | By Centurion

Thanks for your later post. Poor decisions? Yes. Distractions? Yes. But logic tells me that the more cars there are on the road, the more drivers will be distracted by all sorts of things. More drivers will make poor decisions. If a driver can not recognise safe action from unsafe action, believes he/she has a right to endanger others by bad driving, or allows himself/herself to be sidetracked from attention to driving, then he/she deserves to be labelled 'idiot'


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