Roading boost for Qtown
Queenstown’s newest road project has received a huge Government funding boost, but the Transport Minister is warning he will not tolerate another budget blowout.
Minister Simeon Brown was in Queenstown yesterday to turn the first sod on a four-year project that includes installation of 18 new sets of traffic lights, including at one of the South Island’s busiest intersections.
He announced a new Government budget of $250 million for the project, more than double the $113m originally set aside. It follows news of a $40m budget blowout on an $128m arterial road to bypass central Queenstown, which started in 2021 and due to be completed later this year.
Brown said the Frankton Rd project would deliver “significant benefits” in resolving a “pinch point”, unlocking opportunities for more housing and supporting tourism.
Much of the work was focused on pedestrian and public transport improvements, he said. “But ultimately this intersection carries 44,000 vehicles a day, so the prize here is making sure we can move that vehicle traffic more efficiently.”
The “BP roundabout” intersection sat at the heart of the project and was one of the busiest intersections in the South Island.
The roundabout would be replaced by traffic lights, the nearby bus hub would be extended, new bus lanes would be built, and there would be more footpaths, underground infrastructure work and another roundabout at the intersection of SH6 and Howards Dr.
The new sets of traffic lights would be installed at several intersections along Frankton Rd.