As work is set to ramp up on roading improvements in the busy Queenstown suburb of Frankton, local school children were invited this week to make their mark on the project.

Children from Remarkables Primary School and KingsView School gathered on the newly asphalted area at the State Highway 6/6A intersection (BP roundabout), near the Frankton Golf Centre, to contribute some chalk art, to learn some safe scootering skills, and get up close with some of the big machinery being used in the roadworks.

“The gathering was a way for the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and its alliance with Queenstown Lakes District Council, Kā Huanui a Tāhuna, to say thank you to the community for its support and patience shown towards the roadworks in Frankton to date,” says NZTA Director of Regional Relationships, James Caygill.

“It was fantastic to see so many kids coming out and getting involved. It was also a chance to share some information about the changes being delivered by the Queenstown Package, as the work at the intersection moves into a more challenging and disruptive phase for road users.”

A temporary roundabout is being built at the intersection, with reconfigured approaches and traffic lanes. This will keep two lanes moving through the intersection and will maintain access to the BP service station, Terrace Junction, and Frankton Village, while contractors rebuild the northern side of the highway from the BP station to Hansen Road.

This change will shift SH6/Kawarau Road traffic towards the Frankton Golf Centre, creating space to start road excavation and rebuilding outside Frankton Village. At the same time, work continues along SH6/Kawarau Road, building the new southern end of the expanded Bus Hub and adjusting traffic lanes as needed along the stretch to Ross Street.

The eventual shift from a roundabout to a signalised intersection at SH6/SH6A is designed to better manage the needs of all road users and to address congestion, especially at peak times. Traffic signals are better at managing demand compared to roundabouts because they allow vehicles coming from any direction time to move through the intersection rather than traffic coming from one particular direction getting priority.

The traffic signals will adjust in real-time to manage demand – this means a smoother flow through the intersection from all directions. Additional lanes will also create some increased capacity. Signalised pedestrian crossings will be included to make it safer and easier to cross the state highway to get to shops and businesses.

The Bus Hub capacity will be doubled (extending down SH6 Kawarau Road), which means more room for both local buses and tour operators, room for over 50 bike parks, and new shelters. The golf course side of the Bus Hub will extend to accommodate more buses and pick-up for ski bus operators. Two new large shelters have been installed, and bus stops made larger.

“With the Queenstown Package work continuing through to 2028, we appreciate it’s a long time for locals and visitors to put up with roadworks and traffic management,” Mr Caygill says.

“We will be doing everything we can to minimise the impacts on people. And we do think it will be worth the wait to see these improvements for private vehicle travel, public transport and pedestrians at what has become a very busy intersection.”

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