There's still no let up for commuters on Te Ngae Rd and it's not about to get any easier. Photo / Andrew Warner
There's still no let up for commuters on Te Ngae Rd and it's not about to get any easier. Photo / Andrew Warner
Eastside residents are being warned to better plan around peak-hour traffic congestion on Te Ngae Rd despite tweaks being made to hopefully improve the gridlock tomorrow.
For two mornings traffic has been held up more than 40 minutes on and around Te Ngae Rd as new work began at theintersection of Te Ngae Rd and Sala St on Monday afternoon. The congestion has occurred as a result of a slip lane to Sala St being closed for the work.
The traffic has banked up from 8am to 10am to at times past Rotorua Airport and "as far as the eye can see" on Vaughan Rd and Tarawera Rd, according to early morning commuters spoken to by the Rotorua Daily Post.
Residents have been late for work, students late for school and bus services have been delayed.
NZ Transport Agency acting portfolio delivery manager Jo Wilton said they had a team on site this morning to monitor the intersection at Sala St and make "live adjustments" to the traffic light phasing to allow more time for westbound traffic to get through.
"This is a complex exercise as we need to temper the needs of Sala St traffic as well. However, we made some good progress later this morning with regards to balancing the phasing and will implement these changes tomorrow. We hope this will make a difference to the early morning peak."
Wilton said it took time to adjust to the new layout and delays were expected to lessen.
However, she said there would continue to be "moderate delays" while the slip lane was closed until December 4.
"This temporary closure is required to allow contractors to complete the upgrade of the intersection. It's important to note that the slip lane will be reopened at the start of December, and we expect the overall intersection upgrade to be complete prior to Christmas."
She said motorists should plan ahead, allow extra time for their morning travel and where possible travel outside the peak hours.
"We appreciate the delays are frustrating and thank motorists for their patience."
Deputy mayor Dave Donaldson. Photo / File
Deputy mayor Dave Donaldson, who is the only eastside Rotorua district councillor, said he understood the commuter frustration but he said locals had been warned about the delays for months.
He said there was similar "outrage" when Fairy Springs Rd and Lake Rd were made four lanes.
"There's never a truer saying than to make a good omelette you have to crack a few eggs ... Given the significant change, there is going to be issues. When it's done and dusted, people will say it is fabulous."
He said there were several things people could do to help, including riding a bike, carpooling, leaving earlier and having breakfast in town, working from home or asking to work later or earlier hours.
"The cycleways are brilliant ... Send kids to school on a bike with a jacket, they are hardy individuals.
"I saw this coming months ago when the kick-off date was advised. It's nothing Ngongotahā people haven't been through already. We have to make these changes and there's no time like the present. We should be grateful we've been given this investment so let's be creative about how we adapt."
What the new intersection at Te Ngae Rd and Tarawera Rd will look like. Photo / Supplied
Rotoiti resident Billy Kingi said he had contacted NZ Transport Agency because he was concerned the changing of the intersection at Te Ngae Rd and Tarawera Rd from a roundabout to traffic lights would do little to ease ongoing congestion.
Once completed, there would still only be one designated eastbound and westbound lane for traffic heading straight through, with the second lane also allowing for turns.
"I would have thought they would have create two dedicated lanes and a slip lane for turning so you don't get caught up in the traffic that's not going straight through."
Kingi said he investigated the changes hoping the current hours sitting in traffic would be worthwhile.
"Here's hoping we get something but I'm worried it's not going to make much difference."
In response, Wilton said the Eastern Corridor Stage One project was focused on improving safety and access along the corridor, as well as creating better opportunities for walking and cycling.
"The works are expected to help reduce congestion at peak times by upgrading key intersections, although this is not a primary goal of the project."
She said the existing Tarawera Rd roundabout was not suitable for cyclists and pedestrians and, due to the large increase in traffic volumes along the corridor, was no longer functioning at its best during peak hour travel.
"This intersection is a critical part of Rotorua's transport network. Upgrading it will make it a lot safer and easier to use for all modes of travel, as well as providing more reliable journey times for vehicles. This upgrade is crucial for supporting the expected population growth in eastern Rotorua."
