State Highway 2 between Katikati and Tauranga is one of the country’s most dangerous roads and Western Bay of Plenty residents are calling for it to be made safer.
In the last three months two people have died and 11 others have been injured following crashes on the route.
The most recent happened earlier this month after a crash at the Omokoroa intersection where three people were injured.
A petition signed by more than two thousand people will be submitted to the regional council later this month.
Omokoroa Community Board Chariman, Murray Grainger says people are concerned.
"Until central government steps up and says this is a dangerous road, people are dying, it needs to be fixed, I don't think we'll get anything done”, he says.
New Zealand Transport Agency says upgrades to the road will include centre lines, side barriers and improvements to 26 intersections between Waihi and Omokoroa.
As well as a new seven kilometre highway between Omokoroa and Te Puna, and a bypass of Kaitkati.
NZTA's Agency Director Regional Relationships, Parekawhia McLean says NZTA understands the community’s concerns about the road.
She say the Transport Minister is developing the Government Policy Statement “and has indicated it will provide a different emphasis for the transport system”, she says.
But local MP, Todd Muller says the regional government has got it wrong.
"To have it listed as number 11 on the regional transport priority simply misses, that this is a key arterial route for the city.
"It is incredibly dangerous, we’ve had huge population growth over the last ten years and it needs to be prioritised and fixed," he says.
Public consultation closes later this month, and NZTA will release its National Land Transport Programme in August.
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