Ask Phoebe: Heavily used flyovers in tip top condition

The Victoria Park tunnel was the last of a planned series of Transport Agency projects to complete a decade-long upgrade of the Central Motorway Junction. Photo / Janna Dixon

Apart from increasing traffic capacity, one of the reasons for building the Victoria Park tunnel was because the existing flyovers had structural issues. Given that we are still using them for southbound traffic I presume they've been fixed?
Mark Hammond, Auckland.

The Victoria Park tunnel was the last of a planned series of Transport Agency projects to complete a decade-long upgrade of the Central Motorway Junction to improve safety and journey reliability through central Auckland. The agency says it is incorrect to suggest the tunnel was built because the flyovers had structural issues - both are a critical part of the upgrade and carry tens of thousands of vehicles a day. The flyovers have been seismically upgraded and have regular maintenance.

The intersection of White Swan Rd, Kimber Hall Ave and Griffen Park Rd is controlled by stop signs at both Kimber Hall and Griffen Park. A garden in the intersection prevents the two streets from being exactly opposite. Do the stop sign rules still apply? Nobody obeys them, which daily causes near misses. Also when turning right into Kimber Hall from White Swan, the cars from Griffen Park ignore the stop sign. Who here is in the right? Paula McGregor, Lynfield.

All stop signs must be acknowledged and obeyed. No exceptions. Vehicles turning right into Kimber Hall from White Swan Rd have right of way over vehicles from Griffen Park Rd, as the latter face a stop sign. As always, if you are in doubt over who has right of way, it is more prudent to wait rather than force the issue.

I am amazed and shocked to see how many motorists still use cellphones or text while driving. Do the police manage to catch anyone, or were the changes to the road code a waste of time?
Ian Dally, Mt Albert.

Yes they do, and people are fined. But police officers can't be everywhere all the time and can deal only with the motorists they catch, which clearly will not be every offender.

*An update on the old Mt Roskill Borough Council chambers. In March, the Auckland Council agreed to take the option of demolishing the chambers off the table, and members of the Puketapapa Local Board will shortly present to the strategy and finance committee of the council a business case for investing in the restoration.