Florist Amanda Browne is unhappy about the impact the Victoria St West roadworks are having on her business. Photo / Michael Craig
Florist Amanda Browne is unhappy about the impact the Victoria St West roadworks are having on her business. Photo / Michael Craig
A small city florist is pleading with Auckland Transport to put roadworks outside her shop on hold around Valentine's Day.
The February 14 Feast of Saint Valentine is the busiest day of the year for Amanda Browne's Victoria Park Flowers, where she has worked for the past 15 years.
Browne currently confronts a disruptive roadworks operation extending one km along Victoria St West on the edge of Auckland's CBD. Crews are building a cycle way and resurfacing the road.
With the work set to last at least until April, Browne is alarmed the maze of pedestrian barriers and traffic cones will impede business on Valentine's Day.
Heavy commuting traffic on Victoria St, central Auckland, on Monday morning due to roadworks. Photo / Jason Oxenham
"At the moment they're doing the opposite side so it's not affecting me so much, but they need to redo the footpath on my side. That's the part I dread.
"I hope they don't have just roadworks and construction going through the whole street - people will just avoid my shop."
The four lane road has been reduced to one each way via lines of traffic cones and barriers, with extensive traffic jams during peak hour. Pedestrians are directed along lanes protected by wire fences.
Downer Group, which is doing the work, has told residents and firms along Victoria St West of the timetable of construction of the cycleway and road upgrades.
Victoria Park Flowers with the roadworks out front last week.
Completion of a cycleway, new bus stops, curb and gutter upgrades, and the relocation of eight trees will take until late February.
Stage two will resurface the street from late February.
A following six week, stage three will lay a coloured surface on the cycleway and install concrete separators.
Browne has been in contact with Auckland Transport and Downer since before Christmas over the prospect of having some roadwork relief for the Valentine's Day week in February.
After the Herald contacted AT and Downer this week, a meeting has now been set up for Monday afternoon between the two companies and Browne at her flower shop.
Roadworks corner of Victoria St West and Wellesley St West, Auckland CBD. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
"A member of Auckland Transport's Communications team has been talking to Amanda Browne by email and along with Downers we are looking at the work schedule around Valentines Day," AT's Mark Hannan said.
"Valentine's Day is still more than a month away so plenty of time to sort things out."
"We try to get as much done at this time of year because it's quiet and the weather is good," Hannan said.
"There is a lot this year but it happens every year. We find things don't get back to normal until Anniversary Weekend."
Amanda Browne, 49, has owned Victoria Park Flowers since 2014, and worked there for the past 15 years. Photo / Michael Craig
Aside from the commercial strife the roadworks are causing for Browne, a literal headache from the construction is also causing her to despair, as she lives in an apartment above her 124 Victoria St West store.
"I kind of joke about it but sometimes when I talk to people it does feel a little bit like PTSD," she said.
"I'm in the shop and all you can hear is people tooting. Oh my god the other day I almost went outside and just yelled at someone. I didn't, but I was going to be like a crazy woman."
Adding to the mental exhaustion, Browne is recovering from brain surgery in November last year. The surgery discovered a benign lump.
"There's probably worse things in life [than the roadworks], like I've just had brain surgery. But just the consistency of tooting," Browne said.
"All we hear is screeching outside and we think 'that one must have been a close call'. It is just crazy, just constant.
"I've lived there for 10 years but what's going on right outside is a little bit much."
