There will be some partial or complete road closures in Whitianga at the Joan Gaskell Drive/Cook Drive roundabout over the next month while work to improve pedestrian access at the intersection takes place.

Work began yesterday and will be carried out in four stages until 16 August, in the following order:

· Cook Drive south
· Joan Gaskell Drive north
· Cook Drive north
· Campbell Street

To make it safer for pedestrians the median island on Joan Gaskell Drive will be extended. There will be a marked zebra pedestrian crossing on Campbell Street and another crossing and pedestrian refuge on the southern end of Cook Drive.

The crossing point on the northern side of Cook Drive will be relocated. This will be relocated just opposite the supermarket and upgraded to a zebra crossing.

"Our main priority is to minimise the disruption to the public as much as we can, although the work will create some short-term inconvenience including minor traffic delays," says our Council’s Roading Manager Matt Busch.

A traffic management plan will be in place for safety of the contractors and motorists. Traffic detours are planned to minimise the impact on nearby residents and businesses.

Where there are full road closures, detours will be in place and when one lane is closed, there will be traffic management to guide traffic through the site.

"We thank the public in advance for their patience while these works are in progress," says Mr Busch.

Campbell and Albert intersection to get roundabout

A mini-roundabout is going to be installed at the intersection of Campbell and Albert streets, starting in the next two weeks.

The majority of traffic entering and exiting Whitianga uses this intersection. Members of the community raised concerns about the intersection’s safety after traffic flow through it was changed as part of the Whitianga Town Centre Upgrade.

The Mercury Bay Community Board agreed that the intersection should be changed to a four-legged intersection with a mini-roundabout that will improve saftey and be easily understood by drivers.

A raised pedestrian crossing will be installed on the western side of the roundabout.

Blacksmith Lane toilets are open

The public toilets at Soldiers Memorial Park, Blacksmith Lane, Whitianga (above) are now open.

The work included a new roof and cladding.

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