Inter-regional journeys are critical to support exports, general freight and journeys made by tourists. The focus is on delivering safe and predictable journeys to provide people with confidence that they will be able to reach their destination within a reliable timeframe.
In rural areas, transport enables the movement of raw materials needed to support rural production, as well as the movement of produce to processing centres and onto local markets and export hubs.
Predictability is particularly important for time-sensitive products such as fresh milk, livestock and perishable produce.
For 2015–18, the regional improvements activity class’s anticipated expenditure is $225 million, of which almost half is aimed at reducing the number and impact of crashes. Fewer crashes on the network mean fewer delays.
State Highway 3 runs east to west between Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay. Freight movement between ports and production facilities makes it one of the country’s key journeys. To minimise delays caused by severe weather and increase resilience, investment in this key route will help improve the Manawatu Gorge and also support the upgrade of the alternative Saddle Road route.
