Traffic 'nightmare' looms for vital safety work on closed section of Marine Parade in Napier

Marine Parade will be closed between Vautier and Tennyson Sts from May 5 until June 4 while crossings safety improvements are carried out. Photo / Paul Taylor

Napier's Marine Parade is set to close for a month, for safety improvements.

One local business owner suspects traffic will become a nightmare nearby but is philosophical, saying "no time is a good time" for shutting down part of the busy thoroughfare.

From Wednesday, Marine Parade is closed between Vautier and Tennyson Sts until June 4.

An NCC spokesperson said the $230,000 project would have three raised courtesy crossings installed. These would slow traffic down and elevate crossing users, making them more visible to motorists.

Access for residents and the shared cycleway along the foreshore are not affected.

"Alternative routes will be suggested for pedestrians and cyclists. Northbound light vehicles, including small delivery trucks, will be directed along the parking lane, and southbound traffic will be directed to use Hastings St from the roundabout near MTG Hawke's Bay, to Vautier St," the spokesperson said.

"Heavy vehicles travelling both north and south will have to use SH2 (Georges Drive) from the Ellison St turn-off, to Hyderabad Rd. Cyclists travelling northbound can continue to use the parking area and those travelling south can use the shared cycleway along the foreshore."

Lucy Kingi, of Six Sisters Coffee House, does not support the closure or the changes.

"It's a main way of traffic for a lot of people coming through town."

She said the safety upgrade was based on feedback from a consultation four years ago and many of the businesses canvassed were no longer there.

The NCC spokesperson said the crossings had been unable to be installed in previous financial years, after the council had consulted extensively on the project.

"Council has notified affected business owners and where possible taken on board their concerns and comments in the traffic management plan.''.

The closure will also coincide with the Hawke's Bay Marathon set down for May 15 but competitors' buses will still be able to be access the area.

Lucy Kingi, of Six Sisters Coffee House, says the road closure is a bad idea. Photo / File

Lick This ice-cream store owner Steve Manning said the section being closed off wouldn't affect his business but he believed many might avoid the area.

"Everybody driving through Hastings St is going to be a nightmare."

But there was no good time for the council to close the road, he said.

"No matter when they do it, it's going to snail up something."

While he would have liked to see more consultation around the changes, he was supportive of added safety features.

"It's amazing how many near-misses I see."