The new bridge, which was constructed alongside the old bridge before it was removed, is now open. The space occupied by the old bridge is where the new bridge is being widened, effectively doubling its capacity. Works are under way at either end of the bridge and work on the central columns will begin soon. The scheduled completion date for the bridge extension is early November. And, courtesy of a NZ Transport Agency spokeswoman:
1. Yes. The westbound off-ramp will be widened. Both the width and length of the off-ramp have been designed to contain the expected traffic volumes of the new tunnel.
2. The manhole covers will be part of a new traffic island once the permanent and final road design is in place. The current traffic island is only temporary while the new layout is constructed.
3.Transport Agency staff understand that following the recent decision to not remove the six pohutukawa trees from Great North Rd, Auckland Transport has no immediate plans to widen the slip road from Great North Rd to St Lukes Rd as part of this project. Requests for information from Auckland Transport have gone unanswered.
I live in a street on which people speed and when I slow down to turn left into my driveway, they can be too close behind me for comfort. I use the indicator lights but then they may think I am signalling to turn left into the next street. Can I use a hand signal to supplement the indicator signal? Is there a better way?
Chris Smith, Auckland.
It is the responsibility of the following driver to allow you room to make your turn, whether into a driveway or into a street. You should signal your intention for at least three seconds before you turn. However, you cannot (or should not) assume that the following driver has seen your indicator. Tapping the foot brake lightly to make the brake lights flash, or tooting your horn, may help. Your use of a manual stop signal is probably a wise one.
Tell us
Do you have a question for Phoebe? It can be about transport or any Auckland issue. Email askphoebe@nzherald.co.nz
