Whangārei city street to be one way for three months
Part of a busy central Whanga¯rei street will be down to one-way only for traffic for three months while roadworks are carried out.
The first of a series of inner-city road improvement projects outlined in Whanga¯rei District Council’s Complete Streets Masterplan is about to begin.
Over the next three months, half of John St will become oneway, with cars able to enter from Dent St but unable to exit from John St on to Dent St.
The John St pedestrian crossing across Dent St will be improved, becoming a safer, wider, one-stage crossing to make it easier for pedestrians to get to the waterfront from the central city and vice versa.
“Currently pedestrians have to cross the road in two stages which involves them waiting out [on the island] in the middle of the road,” says Northland Transport Alliance project manager Pete Watts.
“We want to avoid this, especially with the increased numbers of people expected once the Hundertwasser arts centre opens.”
He said making part of John St one-way will also stop drivers from cutting through it at peak times, causing congestion on that section of Dent St.
“We are planning to start works shortly for this with completion in late June 2021 before the new Town Basin park and the Hundertwasser centre open in late 2021.”
He said motorists can expect intermittent minor disruptions along John and Dent Sts over the next three months while this work is carried out.
“Over the next month we will also start making improvements to traffic light phasing at the Riverside Dr/Dent St intersection and will widen footpath waiting spaces at the lights to make them safer for people with pushchairs or mobility scooters,” he said.
The improvements are part of the recently released Whanga¯rei Complete Streets Masterplan, which sets out a 30-year vision for the revitalisation of public spaces and streets within the central city. ■ The council also wants community feedback about further improvements to James and John Sts as part of its Long Term Plan — see www.wdc.govt.nz/ haveyoursay for more information.