Rolleston Drive will be one-way westbound until the upgrades to install traffic signals are completed in late April.
The intersection is closed from 9pm-6am daily until the end of this month. Tennyson St is closed either side, before it will re-open to one-way southbound traffic from mid-February.
Accessing the New World supermarket and other restaurants and shops in the area of the intersection is challenging residents’ and visitors’ patience.
Residents commenting on the Rolleston Community Group page on Facebook spoke of their frustrations, with some saying they were finding it quicker to access the New World at Lincoln than at Rolleston.
The initial post, which attracted more than 290 likes and 150 comments, was from a resident wanting to get to the New World and asking: “Has anyone got a spare helicopter for hire?”
Selwyn District Council group manager infrastructure Murray Washington said upgrade work on a major intersection always meant “some disruption” to usual driving routines.
“This is a major required upgrade and we’re grateful for people’s patience and understanding that the upgrade to the intersection and surrounding roads will improve traffic flow and safety,” Washington said.
Detours are in place to allow access to all businesses affected, he said.
Along with the traffic signals, the upgrade will include a new lane layout with right hand turning traffic lanes and cycle lanes, linking to the pathways recently installed to the north on Tennyson St, along with signal crossings for bicycles and for pedestrians.
