Major upgrade of Tiverton Rd and Wolverton St to start in 2012

Auckland Transport has called for tenders on a major upgrade of Tiverton Road and Wolverton Street - a busy 2.2km stretch of arterial road between New Windsor and New Lynn.

Subject to tender and New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) funding approvals, work on the essential upgrade is expected to start in the first half of 2012.

The proposed works are expected to take up to two years to complete and the aim is to provide a better and safer experience for road users and pedestrians.

The upgrade will also strengthen connections between New Lynn, Rosebank Road, Lansford Crescent and the SH20 extension at Mount Roskill.

A community open day is being held on Thursday 24 November, 3pm to 6pm, at the New Windsor School Auditorium (New Windsor Road), where people can learn about project plans and provide feedback.

The Tiverton-Wolverton upgrade, seeks to:

* Widen the existing roads to provide four lanes (two in each direction) from Clark Street East to the intersection of New Windsor Road and Maioro Street

* Improve pedestrian safety by upgrading the existing footpaths, installing four new pedestrian islands and introducing new pram crossings

* Install traffic signals at five major intersections to improve traffic flow and improve pedestrian safety:
§ Taylor Street/Wolverton Street
§ St George Street/Wolverton Street
§ Blockhouse Bay Road/Tiverton Road/Wolverton Street
§ Whitney Street/Tiverton Road
§ Tiverton Road/New Windsor Road

* Upgrade the existing bus shelters along the route

* Underground Vector power and Telecom services

* Upgrade street lighting

* Upgrade and strengthen local catchpits to reduce localised flooding

* Develop a new cycle route along Miranda Street, Margate Road, Mulgan Street and New Windsor Road that will link with the New Lynn SH20 cycle route at Maioro Street

* Investigate possible upgrades at other intersections to improve traffic flow, particularly during peak periods:
§ Richardson Street/White Swan Road
§ White Swan Road/Hillsborough Road
§ White Swan Road/Donovan Road

Whau Local Board chairman Derek Battersby says his board fully endorses the project.

"This is an essential upgrade that is ultimately going to bring many benefits for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and those living in the area," he says.

"It will remove the bottleneck that occurs between the existing four-lane roads in New Lynn and New Windsor and give local residents new and safer crossing points and a wider footpath.

"The new cycle route nearby means cyclists travelling between New Lynn and Mt Roskill can avoid an extremely busy commuter and freight route. The corridor currently carries an average 33,400 vehicles a day but the upgrade will provide extra capacity for future increases, which will prove vital once construction of the NZTA's SH20 Waterview connection begins. The undergrounding and upgrading of local utility services is also a bonus and will help to improve the look of the area.

"The Whau Local Board is right behind this project and we're keen to see it start as soon as possible."

About Auckland Transport
Auckland Transport is a Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) of Auckland Council. It is responsible for all of the region's transport services (excluding state highways) - from roads and footpaths, to cycling, parking and public transport.
Among its main tasks are:
§ To design, build and maintain Auckland's roads, ferry wharves, cycleways and walkways.
§ Co-ordinate road safety and community transport initiatives such as school travel
§ Plan and fund bus, train and ferry services across Auckland.

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