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More change is on the way for key roads around Franklin, with a proposal to lower the speed limit on another section of State Highway 22.
Consultation has opened on a proposed speed limit change on a section of State Highway 22 (SH22) as part of the SH22 Drury upgrade project. As part of the project, works are currently underway at the SH22/Jesmond Road intersection to create an access point for a new road into KiwiRail’s Ngākōroa train station that is currently under construction.
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is proposing that the current 60 km/h speed limit at the eastern end of SH22 at Drury, which changes to 80 km/h south of the Burberry Road intersection, be extended for approximately 1km to a point approximately 230m west of the Jesmond Road intersection.
Consultation closes at 5pm on Monday, March 2.
Other projects include the Paerata Station roundabout connection, which is expected to start in late January, the King/Hall Street pedestrian connection upgrades, and the Cape Hill Road rehabilitation.
Channelling and resurfacing work continues on Manukau Road.
Franklin Local Board member Merritt Watson says that the wait for the roadworks to be completed will be worth it in the end. Pukekohe and the wider Franklin areas have grown over the years, and now infrastructure must expand to meet the needs of the growing population.
“My biggest advice is to plan ahead and be flexible. Traffic patterns will change as works begin, and people will naturally start using alternative routes, including back roads.
“Check live traffic before you leave on Google Maps, allow extra time, and expect conditions to evolve week by week. For pedestrians, be aware of temporary crossings, signage and night works, and take extra care around active worksites.
“Many of these projects are pieces of much larger puzzles, and they have to happen in very specific sequences. Some parts are controlled by Auckland Transport, others by NZTA, and others by KiwiRail.
He says a good example is the current work on SH1 to extend three lanes to Bombay.
“That project requires major changes at the Drury interchange to handle both motorway upgrades and increased traffic from the development in Drury. Closing one on ramp there inevitably pushes traffic onto alternative routes like Ramarama and Bombay.
“Before that could happen safely, traffic lights had to be installed at key intersections such as Great South Road and SH22, and at the Bombay interchange, to manage the extra and abnormal traffic flow.
“In short, each step must be timed correctly so the next one can happen without causing network failure. When one piece moves, everything else has to line up.”
