Foolish young drivers play havoc on workers

8th February 2007

By John Cousins

Early morning hell-raisers are putting workers' lives at risk by reaching speeds of up to 70kmh through coned-off areas of Hewletts Rd.

Tauranga drainlayers and traffic control staff working nights have had several narrow escapes from young drivers ignoring the 30kmh speed restriction.

Fulton Hogan's project manager Keith Campbell said the worst time was between 3am and 5am when young people were coming home from parties and pubs.

The most serious incident occurred a fortnight ago when a young driver "playing silly buggers" drove through the cones and ended up ploughing into the work site, nearly hitting a drainlayer and just missing plunging into a ditch.

Mr Campbell said the driver tried to say he got lost but as he left he skittled all the cones along one side of the exit lane.

In another night-time escapade, a van hit the rear of a digger and then took off without stopping. The vehicle was located parked further down the road but the driver was nowhere to be found.

The third incident was when a young woman driver was seen weaving on the road at 4.30am as work was in full swing. Police caught her shortly afterwards and charged her with drink driving.

Mr Campbell said police were providing good support by keeping a high profile in the early hours of the morning.

Traffic was not so heavy at night that motorists were being caught in long queues. The problem seemed to be more about driver frustration with the 30kmh speed limit and he feared it would become a bigger headache as work moved away from underground services and on to road works, he said. "It is like cone city at night."

Traffic controllers had even resorted to reducing the width of the coned-off lanes to try to slow vehicles.

And although the lanes were wide enough for a truck, controllers struck problems with caravaners shifting the cones because they were unable to judge the width.

Another hazard was caused by drivers not understanding the purpose of the heavily lit and flashing truck that drove behind the vehicle putting out the road cones prior to each night's work.

Mr Campbell said motorists tried to pass the truck, even though it was going from one side of the road to the other in order to try to stop overtaking.

"People cannot understand why it is going so slow - we have even had complaints. It is as much for their safety as ours."

Mr Campbell said the problem of drivers failing to heed the detour sign at the intersection of Totara St and Hull Rd during night closures had been fixed last year by putting in bigger and more frequent signs.

Tauranga roading manager John Hannah said traffic had to start being shifted and funnelled into coned lanes well back from the work site. This meant some drivers were nosing their way through the cones, travelling down the side. "They think they are going to bypass the queue - it is not very sensible stuff."

Transit's project manager Kevin Reid said inconsiderate drivers were putting workers at risk.

Transit had gone to great effort to ensure road closures and work was done at night to ensure the least inconvenience to motorists, he said.

"We understand that being held up is frustrating, but this is a major project which will make driving around Tauranga much easier once it is finished.

"All we need is a little co-operation and understanding from drivers while we get the work done," Mr Reid said.

Widening Hewletts Rd is the $23 million first stage of the Harbour Link project to build a four-lane expressway across the harbour. The widening is due to finish by September 4.