Ask Phoebe: Must obey red arrow at busy city intersection

File photo / NZME

Q: Could you please give some clarification about the arrows at the lights at the intersection of Broadway, St Marks Rd, Great South Rd, Manukau Rd and Alpers Ave?

Driving south on Broadway to connect with Great South Rd, there is confusion when the lights go green for Manukau Rd, as the red arrow stays on for people using the St Marks crossing.

Great South Rd users either (a) go on the red light or (b) sit and wait for the red arrow to go green or disappear.

Is the red arrow for St Marks Rd for turning traffic only? The Great South Rd crossing has a different crossing cycle so the road is open for use on the St Marks red arrow.

I appreciate that one would still have to wait for a left-turning vehicle in front of you to have clearance before moving, but if first in the queue, would one have the green light?

Impatient drivers sometimes get in the straight-through lane and then turn left on to Great South Rd, which causes problems if this happens at the same time as other vehicles get the green arrow.

Marilyn King, Onehunga.

The red arrow at St Marks Rd is for turning traffic.

If there is a red arrow preventing traffic turning left into St Marks Rd while pedestrians are using the crossing, it must be obeyed. Vehicles may not move off until the arrow has disappeared and the crossing is clear.

The two sets of traffic lights at this intersection, on the corner of St Marks Rd and on the Great South Rd corner, each has its own set of arrows, though they are co-ordinated. Thus, when the green left turn arrow appears, it is set at a sharp angle for St Marks Rd, and at a more obtuse angle for Great South Rd, and both arrows appear at the same time. The same applies for the red arrows.

Q: Every day I travel to and from work on the Northwestern Motorway, and I keep seeing two sections between the Patiki and Te Atatu offramps where there are groups of workers in full hazmat protective suits with breathing apparatus on. They are bagging up soil or some other type of substance in small grey plastic bags which are then loaded on to big trucks that are lined with black PVC. Do you have any idea what type of material is being removed? Were these old dumping sites?

Dan Gray, West Auckland.

The Transport Agency discovered low levels of asbestos near Rosebank Park Domain during its work to upgrade the Northwestern Motorway between Great North Rd and Te Atatu.

Safety measures are in place to ensure the material is removed securely, and the removal process and the site are being monitored carefully. During the process the motorway and adjoining cycleway have remained open. The work was scheduled to be finished by the end of August, but it appears the problem is larger than first thought. Either that, or the weather has delayed progress.

It's understood the material was included in fill taken from a building site in central Auckland 20 years ago.

Do you have a question for Phoebe? It can be about any Auckland issue. Email askphoebe@nzherald.co.nz