Busy intersection near five schools gets pedestrian upgrade

Work has begun at the intersection of Miro St and Malfroy Rd. Photo / Rotorua Lakes Council

Work has begun on a new pedestrian refuge at a busy intersection which is used by students from several schools in the area.

The work at the intersection of Miro St and Malfroy Rd will help to improve safety for people crossing the road, especially the students heading to and from school, Rotorua Lakes Council said in a statement.

There are five schools near Miro St and many students use Malfroy Rd to school each day.

The intersection at Miro St is particularly busy, with vehicles moving in a number of directions in and out of the street, which makes it difficult to cross.

In recent years there have been a number of near-misses involving students which prompted Malfroy Primary School and parents to request the council look to make the intersection safer.

The new pedestrian refuge island will enable pedestrians, cyclists and people using mobility devices or prams to cross the road one lane at a time and stop safely in the middle.

The island will reduce the width of the road to one lane exiting Miro St.

Traffic counts in the area have indicated that the number of vehicles turning right is limited, even during peak times, so reducing to one lane shouldn't have a major impact on turning vehicles.

The work was originally scheduled to take place later in June but due to contractor availability it has been brought forward by a few weeks. It is expected to take about a week (weather dependent) to complete the work.

During the construction of the island there may be minor delays when entering or exiting Miro St.

The council apologised for any inconvenience.

- Supplied