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Renewed calls for South Island highway upgrades

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Thu, 14 Dec 2017, 6:44AM
Photo / NZ Herald | File
Photo / NZ Herald | File

Renewed calls for South Island highway upgrades

Author
Newstalk ZB Staff,
Publish Date
Thu, 14 Dec 2017, 6:44AM

A fatal crash that left the South Island figuratively "cut in half" has stirred further calls for highway upgrades.

Vehicles were sent on a 60 kilometre detour to a one-way bridge after a fatal crash on the main Rakaia Bridge on Tuesday. 

The road was closed for seven hours and drivers faced delays of up to four hours.

Ashburton District Council's Services Manager Stuart Wilson said that to avoid future delays, either one of the Rakaia bridges needs to be widened, or a new one built.

He said the NZTA and police also need to plan their detours thoroughly.

"It happens every time. People end up on shingle roads and they've got no detour signs and there was nobody organising it. It just becomes absolute chaos."

The AA's District Council chairman Roy Hughes said traffic between Christchurch and Ashburton is building up.

"There's intensifying traffic on that road all the time, major commercial and tourist traffic."

The accident on Tuesday happened aaround 2:30 in the afternoon, and saw one person killed after their car crashed into a truck. 

Another accident occurred on the diversion put in place after the main crash, and saw one person flown to Christchurch Hospital.

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