Tom Kennerson is part of the Higgins team working as a Site Traffic Management Specialist (STMS) at the Devil’s Elbow - a particularly winding and hilly section of State Highway 2 between Whirinaki and Tūtira in the Hawke's Bay.

SH2 was hit heavily by Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, with huge sections left impassable.

Now open with traffic management in place, it’s Tom and his traffic management team that play the pivotal role in ensuring road users have a smooth and safe passage while the rebuild continues.

“Ninety per cent of the people who travel through Devil’s Elbow do it every day, with some going through several times a day, so the faster we can get them through, the happier they are,” Tom says.

This is something he appreciates himself, having formerly worked in logistics for a furniture company that frequently travelled this highway.

But a post-Covid career change led Tom to join Higgins’ traffic management team. Within one year, he had studied and worked himself up from a traffic controller to STMS on what is the largest roading project in the Hawke's Bay.

“Our worksite is 5km long, and many parts are only one-lane wide as the rebuild continues,” Thomas says.

“I’m onsite every day with my team, starting at 5am with a toolbox session going over the key updates and plans for the day and our important health and safety briefings.

“I patrol the road from 7am in a traffic truck to oversee all our operations, always looking for ways to improve efficiency.”

Thomas enjoys the complexity of traffic management, solving problems and setting up the site to make it as safe as possible.

“I believe an STMS manager is only as good as the team they have around them. I like helping my team understand their contribution to the big picture and the importance of helping road users get through to their destination as safely and quickly as possible.”