The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) plan to replace traffic lights with more traffic lights at the intersection of State Highway One and Maunu Road, in Whangarei.

During the two-day hearing last week, NZTA outlined how they planned to upgrade the intersection of State Highways One and Fourteen.  The planned upgrade includes the removal of the old oak tree in the centre, creating slip lanes on all corners for left hand movements, and acquiring additional land for ponds, planting and sight lines along the roads.

Submissions in opposition included: Maunu Medical Centre, because most of their car parking was planned for removal to allow for the creation of one of the new left hand slip lanes; The Bridge Club and residence on North Street, where all the right turn movements are to be stopped via the installation of a raised median barrier; and a number of motels, where no compensation for dust, noise and loss of business due to construction is offered.

Vince Cocurullo, has also submitted in opposition, claiming that in all the documentation provided by the NZTA, no plan has been provided, or consultation with emergency services carried out, to discuss how ingress and egress from North Street will be achieved.  He also states that the information provided did not allow for the additional noise and dust that would be created, due to the proximity of the road to the Medical Centre and the residence further along the road. The Whangarei District Council staff acknowledge that medical-specific hardware will need extra cleaning as a result of the creation of additional dust.

Mr Cocurullo also highlighted that a roundabout would best serve this intersection, and the one-sentence statement dismissing this idea in the report was “pathetic” and did not incorporate good design practice in the explanation as to why a roundabout design was dismissed.  Cocurullo’s submission showed an alternative utilising a roundabout of 80m in diameter and outlined a proposal wherein the NZTA has already purchase most of the land, and also allows for traffic flow in and around the businesses and roads near the site.  “It has been proven that more serious accidents happen at traffic lights than at roundabouts, because more people take risks at lights,” he says.

“Something needs to done to the intersection this is true, with the traffic queuing at peak periods during the day, and sometimes all day.  Why replace traffic lights for traffic lights, when presently the traffic light layouts are not working adequately?” he says.

The Commissioner will now take up to 15 days to deliberate on the recommendations for NZTA, and the NZTA will have 30 working days after that to reply. Both the recommendations and reply will be available for viewing by the public.

ENDS