What funding, if any, has been allocated since 2023 for safety improvements on the Desert Road, and what specific projects has that funding supported?

Answer

NZTA has advised that while there has been no funding specifically for safety improvements, they have completed maintenance on this route to ensure it is kept to a safe standard. This included the SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru Accelerated Maintenance project which rebuilt and resurfaced 34.5 lane kilometres of highway which improved the road surface and skid resistance.