Two curves on State Highway 6 may be removed, if the New Zealand Transport Agency's (NZTA) road realignment is approved following next week's resource consent hearing in Queenstown.
NZTA plans to realign a section of State Highway 6, between Kelvin Heights and the Remarkables turn-off, focusing on a 55kmh corner, just south of the Kelvin Heights turn-off and a 65kmh corner near Boyd Rd.
The agency, as a requiring authority, has an historical designation over SH6 and proposes to alter the boundaries of its designation, to realign the road and reduce the severity of two curves.
Lakes Environmental planner Wendy Ross said the proposal required the removal of some land from NZTA's designation and the incorporation of other land.
NZTA had submitted a notice of requirement to the Queenstown Lakes District Council regarding its proposal.
The application from the agency said the work was required to provide a safer driving environment for road users by removing two "out of context curves" which were "significant contributors" to accidents in the area.
Seven of 10 crashes recorded by the agency in the area from August 1999 to July 2009 occurred on or within 50m of the 65kmh Boyd Rd corner.
Many of the accidents were attributed to loss of control or swinging too wide out of the curve, the agency said.
Of the 10 crashes, three were serious, four were minor and three were non-injury.
"The cost to society for these accidents is calculated using an accident by accident analysis.
"For the present state highway alignment, the cost for these accidents is $1,389,242 per year."
NZTA said by removing the two curves which had contributed to the majority of the crashes, a "significant reduction" in the number of crashes was anticipated.
"For this reason, accident rate analysis has been used to determine the costs following realignment and is calculated at $145,048 per year."
NZTA said realigning the corners would also improve overtaking opportunities and reduce travel times; and improve the intersection with the Remarkables ski area access road, which had a high demand during the ski season.
The option also allowed the rationalisation of the Boyd Rd intersection by including it with the ski-field access, removing an extra intersection on the highway.
The work would also contribute to the ongoing upgrade of SH6 and improve the safety, efficiency and functionality of the highway in the area.
The proposal involved realigning 1.33km of the highway carriageway, providing a 210m reduction in the length of the existing alignment.
It would increase the radii of the two tight curves to achieve one 225m radius curve and one 300m radius curve and it would increase the seal width to 10m, providing two 3.5m lanes and two 1.5m shoulders.
A new intersection was planned, including a right-turn bay, to serve the Remarkables ski area, along with new intersections to serve Boyd Rd and the property at the north end of the realignment.
The works would also improve the vertical alignment to "greatly reduce the dip" in the highway.
NZTA would also construct a new culvert in a creek to accommodate the new alignment, and purchase 2.6ha of land.
The construction was expected to be carried out over one year.
"At least one lane of traffic will be maintained over the construction period where practical.
"If at any time either of the lanes are restricted, appropriate traffic management measures will be utilised to control traffic.
"Construction will be halted and two-lane, unrestricted traffic flow reinstated over the Christmas-New Year period."
The application attracted seven submissions, one in opposition, one in support, one in partial support, two in conditional support and two neither in support nor opposition.
The proposal will be heard by independent commissioners David Clarke and Cath Gilmour on Tuesday.
