Onerahi road improvements to start in January

Work on a new roundabout in Onerahi will begin in the new year says Whangarei District Council Roading Manager Jeff Devine.

The roundabout will be at the turn off to Whangarei Heads Road, where Onerahi Road, Church Street and Whangarei Heads Road intersect.

"We are currently designing the improvements to the intersection with the aim to tender before Christmas and award in January."

Mr Devine says drivers waiting on Whangarei Heads Road struggle to find appropriate gaps in the heavy traffic along Onerahi Road, causing queues and safety issues at peak times. With the population increasing in the Whangarei Heads area, the improvements are needed now.

It is likely that the new roundabout will include a traffic light to ensure traffic can flow evenly from all directions during peak traffic times, in much the same way as the traffic light at the top of Dent Street in the central city controls flows onto the Dent Street, Bank Street roundabout.

Work is also planned for the Raumati Crescent, Onerahi Road, and Cartwright Road intersection next summer (2012/13) after consultation with the community about the final design.

Improvements to the Waverley Street/Onerahi Road intersection are also in the pipeline.

Council has committed $200,000 to the Whangarei Heads/Church Street intersection and about 60 per cent of the cost of all the Onerahi improvements will be provided by the New Zealand Transport Agency.

ENDS

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