Hamilton's Anzac Parade to be made safer for people on bikes

The Anzac Bridge over the Waikato River will become a more bike friendly route in and out of Hamilton. Photo / Hamilton City Council

Work is due to start along Hamilton's Anzac Parade on Monday May 31 - including over the Anzac Bridge - to more clearly define on-road bike space and to install flexi posts to separate bike lanes from traffic lanes after the road was identified as a high-risk route for cyclists.

Hamilton City Council will be carrying out the work along Anzac Parade, between Victoria St and Grey St as part of the council's Eastern Pathways/Te Ara o te Rawhiti Programme.

The council says safety improvements will include surface renewal work, a refresh of green paint to clearly define on-road bike space, flexi posts to separate bike lanes from traffic lanes, and speed humps at accessways next to bike lanes.

This work will be completed in two phases under road closure between 7pm and 6am:

• Phase one will be Monday May 31 to Thursday June 3 as contractors complete surface repairs and line marking at the Anzac Pde and Grey St intersection.

• Phase two will be Monday June 21 to Friday June 25 and will focus on refreshing the green surface paint and installing cycle safety devices, such as flexi posts and advance stop boxes.

There will be traffic management in place to minimise disruption and maintain access to properties.

Bike accessibility and safety is a top priority for the council, says city transportation unit manager Jason Harrison.

"After community consultation and feedback, Anzac Parade was identified as a high-risk route for people on bikes with a high number of reported crashes and near misses. This project aims to improve accessibility for people on bikes and create designated road space to provide protection from nearby traffic lanes.

"Please take care when travelling through these work sites and council appreciates your patience while these works are under way."