Dunedin truck drivers have reservations about traffic lights being installed at a troublesome intersection at the end of a long stretch of downhill highway.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has signalled a $3 million traffic light option could be considered as an interim safety measure at the intersection of State Highway1 (Pine Hill Rd) and Great King St, because an alternative flyover was too expensive.
Elevating SH1 for about 300m from the bridge over George St to just south of Duke St could cost $25 million.
PBT Group Dunedin branch manager Glenn Hallberg said traffic lights at the Pine Hill intersection, which could be part of a lower-cost safety programme, might create dangers for truck drivers descending the hill.
Brakes tended to get quite hot on that 4km stretch, he said.
An overpass would be expensive, but brilliant, he said.
Lights at the bottom of the hill could cause congestion at the top, Mr Hallberg said.
McCormick Carrying co-owner Kelvin McCormick was wary of the traffic lights idea.
The Pine Hill intersection was ranked 28th in Waka Kotahi’s top 100 high-risk intersections in 2014, but a cost-effective solution has been elusive.
Consultants Stantec promoted an overpass as its preferred option last year for further investigation, but Waka Kotahi said this was unlikely to be economic.
Transporting New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett said the suggestion of traffic lights appeared to be a stop-gap measure.
"Our view is a flyover would be the best solution," Mr Leggett said.
He hopes the idea will be pushed when Transport Minister Michael Wood visits Dunedin next month.
"Lack of investment in infrastructure is why New Zealand falls behind," Mr Leggett said.
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Comments
Obviously the planners were not about in the old days when trucks always had to come to a dead stop at this intersection because it was a T junction. Traffic lights just puts it back to the old set of problems, trucks not being able to stop. Except it will be worse because cars will be driving through the lights and get taken out by a truck without brakes. Better off leaving it as it is or go over.