One of the NZTA's considerations is installing rural intersection active warning signs for through traffic, which are activated by the presence of vehicles approaching to cross or turn into SH1, NZTA senior road safety engineer Roy Johnston said.
''We are continuing to monitor the intersection and have identified a long-term solution involving installing a rural intersection active warning sign that reduces the through speed of highway traffic to 70kmh, whenever a vehicle is approaching the intersection on the side road,'' Mr Johnston said.
''A trial of these, including three sites in the South Island, has just concluded and the results are ... being analysed.''
Early indications from the trial showed such warning signs had been a success, Mr Johnston said.
NZTA has identified the intersection of SH1 and SH83 as having a low traffic volume, with a medium crash risk rating.
In the past five years there have been eight crashes at the intersection - one serious, one minor injury, and six non-injury.
Hilderthorpe-Pukeuri Road Rd resident Mark Harris, who regularly sees near misses at the intersection, said changes were needed and there had been a unified call from the community to have the speed limit reduced to 70kmh or 80kmh.
''I don't want to wait for a fatality,'' he said.
A community push to lower the speed limit gained momentum after a crash on November 7 last year, in which a northbound truck hit a car and brought down a concrete power pole as the truck driver lost control.
Live electric wires caused a fire in pine trees next to the concrete reservoir holding the water supply for Alliance Group's Pukeuri works.
Speed was a concern, Mr Harris said.
Alliance Pukeuri plant manager Geoff Proctor said he had approached NZTA in the past, raising his concerns for the safety of the plant's 950 employees who turned in and out of Works Rd near the junction each day.
''There's a lot of traffic that comes out at particular times of day and particularly during Christmas it is quite difficult,'' he said.
Senior Sergeant Jason McCoy, of Oamaru, said anything to enhance road safety would be supported by police.
NZTA expects approval to promote a rural intersection active warning sign for the intersection in the 2015-16 financial year, subject to national prioritisation and funding requests from other parts of the country for the signs.
