A clearway forward for Curletts Road
A clearway forward for Curletts Road
Nearly four years of manoeuvring through traffic
cones for users of State highway 73 (SH73) Curletts Road in
Christchurch end this Tuesday, 3 June with the opening of
clearways, to ease congestion and improve traffic flows
along this busy road.
The $1.8M project was built by Hawkins Infrastructure who started on the job in January this year.
Transport Agency Highway Manager Colin
Knaggs says once temporary traffic management equipment is
moved from the site this weekend, the clearway signs and
markings become valid. However, because the clearway
doesn’t operate during weekends or public holidays, they
won’t become operational until Tuesday 3 June 2015.
The clearways will operate as traffic lanes during weekday mornings (7am to 9am) and evenings (3.30pm to 6pm) peak travel times, meaning no parking on Curletts Road from Blenheim Road to Main South Road during these times.
Colin Knaggs says the Christchurch City Council parking
team and the Police will enforce no parking in clearways
during these periods, with traffic cameras also running to
check the clearways are free of parked vehicles. If a
vehicle is found parked in the Curletts Road clearways when
they are in use, it may be towed and the owners fined. For
the first few weeks of operation, parking enforcement will
focus on Curletts Road to ensure everyone remembers the
clearways are now operating.
Flush medians, which
are white diagonal lines painted down the centre of the road
serve a number of purposes. These include; providing wider
separation between traffic on either side of the road,
giving pedestrians more room to wait when crossing the road
and create a refuge for vehicles turning in and out of side
roads or driveways.
Mr Knaggs says the Curletts Road flush median will also allow vehicles to safely move into and slow down when turning into a side road or driveway, without disrupting traffic flows. Drivers using these medians should always indicate, watch for pedestrians and other vehicles that may be using the median.
Hawkins Infrastructure project manager Ben Whitham says his team is proud to have delivered a project that is such an important element of the Christchurch roading infrastructure. We would especially like to thank local residents along the road for their patience and understanding during the six month construction period.
A shared facility will be available, so pedestrians and cyclists can access properties along Curletts Road, while through cyclists are encouraged to use Hanson’s Lane.
ends