The Transport and Roading Committee this week moved to support the Eastern Bays Community Board in its efforts to upgrade the intersection of Tamaki Drive and Ngapipi Road.

The intersection is one of Auckland City’s worst accident “Black Spot” sites and it is heavily congested during the peak morning and evening traffic periods. Queues also occur at other times of the day and especially in weekends when people are enjoying the recreational attractions of Tamaki Drive.

Rather than approve a short-term quick fix by installing traffic lights at the existing intersection, the Committee decided that more information should be obtained by officers on the issues and timing involved in pursuing a more comprehensive and expensive option favoured by the Community Board.

Option 7, as it is known, is a high standard fully signalised intersection with a dividing seagull arrangement. It allows eastbound traffic uninterrupted flow and provides an exclusive left hand turn from Ngapipi into Tamaki Drive.

The option involves modifying the bridge and sea wall and requires reclamation of land within the coastal reserve. To proceed these works require resource consent from the Auckland Regional Council and due to the sensitive nature of the environment it is expected that approval will also be required from Iwi.

Funding of the project that could be up to $4 million will also need to be sought from Transfund New Zealand.

Chairwoman of the Transport & Roading Committee, Councillor Catherine Harland says, “Rather than rush in and do a cheap, quick job I believe the Committee has taken a responsible approach by asking whether it would be possible to achieve a better, more sustainable solution.”

“If funding and resource consents can be obtained within the next couple of years for Option 7, then I personally believe that this intersection deserves such a high quality long-term solution,” says Cr Harland

“However if we discover that Option 7 has so many problems that it is unlikely to proceed in the next five years then the Committee may have to re-look at a cheaper, short-term option.”

Officers have been asked to report to the September meetings of the Eastern Bays Community Board and Transport & Roading Committee.

ENDS

For further information contact:

Cr Catherine Harlandm tel: 636 8464.

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