Traffic backed up on 15th Ave from Turret Rd. Photo/file
One of Tauranga's worst traffic snarl up spots has become the subject of an experiment in an attempt to alleviate congestion.
Tauranga City Council will close the Turret Rd end of 14th Ave to force eastbound motorists to use 15th Ave instead. The temporary closure is hoped to reduce the
impact of cars on 15th Ave from traffic being let in from 14th Ave.
The council states on their website: "We want to give people a better chance to drive unhindered down 15th Avenue in the afternoons. One option to help with this is to close the one-way exit lane where Turret Road feeds (via 14th Avenue) onto the main road heading towards Welcome Bay.
"A lot of people who are travelling out of the city try to make a quick rat run via 14th Avenue. They drive down 14th/Turret then drop into the queue at the end of 15th Avenue.
"Others are usually kind enough to let them through but as more people try to drop in, it creates a stuttering effect that interrupts the flow of traffic all the way back along 15th Avenue."
