Short-term improvements will be made to a Prebbleton intersection which has seen two deadly crashes.
District council infrastructure and property group manager Murray Washington said the work will include cutting back the overhanging trees at the Longstaffs and Trices Rds intersection, Prebbleton, to improve visibility.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency data shows there have been two fatal, three serious, and one minor crash at the junction over the last 20 years. Another five reported crashes, including one last Tuesday, resulted in no injuries.
Alastair Joyce, who lives near the intersection, was one of the first on the scene of the three-vehicle crash which blocked the intersection last week.
“I was in the shed about 200m from the intersection and heard a big bang,” he said.
Joyce said the trees around the intersection make it hard to see and most motorists do not stop at the stop signs.
Said Washington: “We have some interim maintenance planned for the intersection to ensure the best visibility and condition of the road that we are hoping to complete in the coming months.”
The work will be done before the intersection gets a major upgrade in the next Long Term Plan period.
“The Longstaffs/Trices Rd intersection is scheduled for upgrades in the next LTP period, and is due to be completed between 2025-2027,” Washington said.
“This one is particularly bad. There is a lot of vegetation and there is a tree on one corner hanging over the road.”
Joyce said it was the second crash since he highlighted the “really dangerous intersection” in a submission on the district council’s Annual Plan in April.
Few motorists come to a complete stop at the Trices Rd stop signs, he said.
“I would say seven out of 10 cars never stop completely.”
Senior Sergeant Anna Lloyd was not aware of any safety issues at the intersection. But she said drivers not stopping at stop signs was a “common” cause of crashes in the district.
“When you are in a 80km/h or 100km/h zone, it is very difficult when you are moving at an angle to judge distance,” Lloyd said.
“You have to come to a stop and have a good look – that’s why it’s a stop sign.”
Joyce was also concerned about the speed limits in the area.
“The beginning of Trices Rd off Springs Rd is 50km/h. Then you go across Birches Rd and it goes up to 60km/h. Then you cross Tosswill Rd and we’re up 80km/h. If you turn left into Longstaffs Rd, it drops to 60km/h. It’s all over the place.”
Washington said speed limit reductions will be considered as part of a speed management review later this year.
The review will look at roads across the district and will be out for consultation by October 5. Waka Kotahi MegaMaps data recommends a 60km/h speed limit for Trices Rd and Longstaffs Rd.
- By Daniel Avery
