Long-awaited construction of a roundabout to control a potentially dangerous corner in Dargaville is about to begin. The roundabout to be constructed at the Logan St/Colville Rd intersection will slow vehicles, especially logging trucks travelling to and from Pouto Rd as they enter the Dargaville urban area. Early last year residents livingin Logan St, Colville Rd and Park Rd - which all feed into and out of the intersection - made emotional pleas to the Kaipara District Council for something to be done about the intersection. The residents deemed the intersection dangerous with little visibility at times. One resident said his wife had a close call - while driving south towards Pouto - with a large truck almost ramming into the back of her vehicle. The man said his wife was slowing up for traffic turning right into Park Rd because there was nowhere for traffic to wait for oncoming traffic to clear except in the southbound traffic lane. The construction of a car park outside the Family Link Child Care Centre in Tirarau St will allow for angle parking for safety reasons keeping children away from the main road traffic. Work will include topsoiling clearing, drainage construction, kerbing and concrete carpark construction. The council would also be carrying out pavement strengthening around the area which will reduce surface roughness and ongoing maintenance would continue such as pothole patching. Work will also include vegetation clearing, minor cut and fill earthworks, service relocations, drainage construction, kerbing, pavement construction and street lighting. Money for the project was budgeted for in the council's Annual Plan a year ago. However problems with contractors have delayed starting dates.
