Waitaki District Council roading manager Michael Voss’ report to the council’s assets committee next week said increasing traffic volumes, a changing traffic mix and a "number of crashes" were driving the proposal.
At the May 1 assets committee meeting, following another minor crash at the intersection and after Waitaki Deputy Mayor Melanie Tavendale highlighted Waitaki residents’ growing anecdotal evidence of crashes at the intersection, Mr Voss suggested the possibility of a "small roundabout".
At the time he said it was an "off the top of the head" suggestion.
"This town’s got a bad history for roundabouts," he said at the time.
In 2009, Oamaru had its first traffic lights installed at an intersection. It was one in a set of five as the town instituted a new traffic plan.
In part, safety concerns about former roundabouts at Eden and Ribble Sts had prompted the change.
Now, on average, 5400 vehicles go through the intersection, including 250 "heavy vehicles".
But the report said the statistics did not include the increasing number of campervans using the intersection.
Drivers who failed to give way while travelling in Wansbeck St had caused half of the 15 crashes reported over the past 18 years, but there were "probably more that went unreported", Mr Voss said.
At present, drivers in Wansbeck St must give way to Tyne St traffic.
Since 2000 there had been five injury crashes at the intersection.
The report said the route was "becoming more popular to visiting drivers".
"Mixing those who are unfamiliar with driving in New Zealand with those who are regular users and are familiar with the intersection requires some form of mitigation."
