Commuters crawled along SH2 between Masterton and Carterton yesterday morning as the new Norfolk Rd roundabout layout caused further delays to the already slow section.
The new road layout for the Norfolk Rd roundabout has been marked out by road cones and still has a gravel surface.
Waka Kotahi NZTA said yesterday that it would not re-seal the roundabout until early April.
From early morning until at least midday, motorists reported their commute taking upwards of 40 minutes after vehicles slowed down for the gravel-covered roundabout, backing up traffic as far as Clareville.
One driver said her usual 20-minute drive between Carterton and Masterton took a full hour due to the disruption.
Emergency services had to push through the mid-morning gridlock to respond to a two-vehicle crash at Norfolk Rd and Chester Rd.
Waka Kotahi said the other two roundabouts, at Ngaumutawa Rd and Wiltons Rd, are expected to be completed by mid-year 2023.
A spokesperson for the roading authority said road users should expect delays travelling through the worksite while the work was underway.
“As these are new works for the project, we understand they may have been unexpected for road users.
“We ask residents and regular users of the route to bear with us while our contractors complete this project.”
The spokesperson said a temporary speed limit of 30kmh had been implemented through the gravel section.
Message boards were placed ahead of the roundabout, warning of the new layout.
“We realise the delays caused by roadworks can be frustrating for drivers,” the spokesperson said.
“However, this is an essential road safety project designed to make State Highway 2 safer for all road users and reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on this section of road.”
The safety improvements on the stretch of SH2 from Masterton to Featherston, which began last year, are part of ‘Road to Zero’, Waka Kotahi’s strategy to achieve zero deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand’s roads.
Waka Kotahi talk about road safety and yet at the end of the working week, they just up and leave the road in a dangerous state. All the 50kph signs were out, when this seems totally unnecessary as there are no workers
The 30kph at the so called ’roundabout’ was absolutely needed, as the marking of the roundabout was a shoddy mess. Add to that, the lack of seal, and the term “road safety ” becomes redundant! Irresponsible is what I would call it.
They should be workig nights to get tbis big job done ! Pathetic how it takes so long. Council keep residents awake 24/7 pumping sewer pipes all night long so get the roadworkers working 24/7 grrrrrr
With road works and idiots that can’t driver,it’s always going to be an interesting day. One thing I didn’t notice was the lack of or non existent present of traffic enforcement officers,that should be there issuing tickets and warnings and checking drivers capabilities to drive or even be using the road.
What a joke. Will tarsealing this speed traffic up? I think no. 5 kms or stopped, took me an hour. Road to zero – kms that is.
Pretty easy to have a “road to zero” if the traffic’s going zero KPH
All of the road users who commute between Masterton and Carterton need to get used to the delays caused by the new roundabout, the tailbacks and delays will be exactly the same when the roadworks are completed, I come from the UK and know exactly how roundabouts cause chaos