Hamilton's Claudelands Bridge closed for weeks as major intersection upgraded

Claudelands Bridge is closed to vehicle traffic 24 hours a day for four weeks but access remains open for pedestrians and people on bikes. Photo / Supplied

Hamilton's Claudelands Bridge is closed to through traffic for four weeks from today while one of the city's more complicated intersections - at the Claudelands end of the bridge - undergoes a significant upgrade.

During this time, the intersection will be fully closed to vehicle traffic 24 hours a day, but all footpaths through the area will remain open for pedestrians and people on bikes. The bridge will also be open for pedestrians and bikes.

The city council says the Claudelands Rd-Grey St intersection, through to the Heaphy Tce-O'Neill St-Brooklyn Rd intersection, will be closed for construction until early November for safety upgrades, traffic light sequencing, and road resurfacing works.

The changes will also have a no right turn from Grey St into Claudelands Rd implemented that the council says will streamline the main flow of traffic turning right into Brooklyn Rd.

Drivers are asked to follow marked detours while the bridge is closed and for more information, to visit hamilton.govt.nz/claudelandsupgrades. Photo / Supplied

During the works, residents and businesses in the construction and surrounding areas will continue to have property access and businesses and shops will remain open.

The council advises drivers to follow marked detours and for more information, to go to hamilton.govt.nz/claudelandsupgrades.

Council's public transport and urban mobility manager, Martin Parkes, is pleased to see the much-anticipated upgrades begin.

"Hamilton is growing, and our roads keep getting busier, so it's critical that we keep improving safety, accessibility movements, and connections across key areas of our city for road users of all types," says Parkes.
"We are focused on creating and maintaining sustainable, safe, and easy ways to get around our city, and the Claudelands East intersection is a busy, important link in our roading network."
While safety upgrades are a critical part of the project, there are other elements to the works which require the intersection to close, the council says.
These include traffic signal system upgrades (bringing the Claudelands lights onto the same system as the rest of the city), road resurfacing, and changes to phasing and signal sequences.

When the Claudelands East intersection upgrades are complete, it will link the cycle and walkway network from the events centre, across Claudelands Bridge, and into the city centre.

The area has been identified as a high safety risk, particularly for people who walk or bike.

Despite this, it provides an important link to the wider road, walking and biking networks. The improvements to the Claudelands East intersection will address the concerns of road users, providing facilities so they can more safely travel through the area, the council says.

The upgrade works include improving pedestrian and biking facilities, installing traffic calming measures, and adjustments to traffic signals.

"We are putting the right transport facilities and services in place so we can continue to meet the demands of our city's current and future growth – and this includes facilities for people who choose to travel by car, on foot, by bike, or by other active means," says Parkes.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is partly funding the safety improvements, under the city council's low-cost, low-risk programme of works.

Other funding will come from the council's Biking and Micromobility Programme approved by the infrastructure operations committee in December, and the balance of funding is expected to come from the central government's Climate Emergency Response Fund Transport Choices Package.