Major roadworks getting under way in Whangarei

Work on the Nixon Street intersection begins this month. Photo / John Stone

Motorists are in for disruption when work starts on a busy Whangarei intersection as part of a wider suite of major roadworks.

Kensington's Nixon St will be closed from today until May, with detours available along Kamo Rd, Mill Rd, Parahaki and Mair streets and Hatea Drive.

These detours have been selected along routes where drivers will be more likely to have right of way at intersections, and less likely to have to sit in queues behind vehicles crossing traffic.

The roadworks are a $7 million expansion of Nixon St, as it becomes four lanes between Mill Rd and Kamo Rd. All properties on the northern side of Nixon St, between Mill Rd and Kamo Rd, are planned to be cut by two metres in preparation for the expansion, with compensation being paid to owners under the Public Works Act 1981.

The work is one of the final stages of Whangarei District Council's 20-year transportation strategy, which included the Porowini Ave extension, Kamo bypass and the Lower Hatea River Crossing.

WDC senior asset engineer Greg Monteith said a dramatic increase in traffic volumes at the Nixon St intersections in recent years had caused queuing and accidents, and the volume of traffic on the road is expected to grow.

"This year's work will increase the number of lanes and the length of lanes at the intersection of Mill Rd and Nixon, enabling much more traffic to flow through smoothly, and making the area safer."

The first stage will mean upgrading and relocating services such as the pipes and cables and wiring that run alongside the road. Work will then stop during winter months, with major pavement works on the road itself kicking off in October. The job completion timeframe is December.

Stage two of the project - which involves the Kensington Ave and Kamo Rd intersection and widening of Nixon St - will be completed in 2016.

"We ask that motorists, pedestrians and residents are patient during this work and consider alternative routes when planning their journeys. The improvements will be worth the temporary inconvenience," Mr Monteith said.