Ask Phoebe: Roundabout access remains safe from closure

The roundabout where Chris Smith had his accident at the intersection of Woodlands Park Rd and Hollywood Ave in Titirangi. 30 March 2012 The Aucklander Photograph by Garry Brandon Photo / APN

The roundabout at Avondale, with five roads feeding into it, is very busy. I have heard a rumour that they intend to close off Wingate St's roundabout access and reroute all its traffic through Larch St. Is this true? In any case can you advise whether the carpark and drive-through traffic from the new fast food restaurant they are going to build at the roundabout will exit onto Wingate or go back out onto New North Rd?
Janet Charman, Auckland.

Auckland Transport (presumably the first "they" that you refer to) is not aware of any closure of Wingate St. There was a temporary closure of the footpath, not the whole road, during maintenance work undertaken by Transpower in early April and the work has now been completed.

Traffic consent processes provided input into the development of a new Carl's Jr restaurant and some retail businesses in Great North Rd. As part of the application there was no intention to close off the access of Wingate St to the Avondale roundabout. There are two access points for the restaurant, one on Great North Rd and one on Wingate St. Apart from a right turn ban out of the site for the Great North Rd access, vehicles can enter and exit the site freely from either point.

Are there any plans to three-lane the stretch of Southern Motorway between Papakura and Drury? Kevin Griffin, Papakura.

The NZ Transport Agency says it has no immediate plans to widen this section of the Southern Motorway. Work started earlier this year on improvements to the motorway interchange at Papakura, and options are being looked at to improve other interchanges and provide additional lanes on the Southern Motorway between Papakura and Manukau.

In the mornings, going south on old Albany highway, past the Upper Harbour turnoff, cars regularly use the turning lane to queue jump and continue going south instead of turning into Upper Harbour. Apart from angering the travellers legitimately queuing, it is also causing the queue turning right out of Upper Harbour to grow substantially as their lane is full. Is there anything that can be done to stop the queue jumping? Cheryl Green, Auckland.

Apart from installing barriers, it seems there is little that can be done except for the use of common courtesy. Perhaps a sign saying "Lane for turning traffic only" might help.

In regard to the New Windsor/Tiverton Rds intersection, I have received the following advice from Auckland Transport: "The terminating road is the vertical of the T and the continuing road is the top of the T. Never mind what the road names are - that is not relevant to the road rule. The only exception is where, because of dominant traffic flow, the roading authority decides that the priority route should make a turn, in which case centreline markings will show the priority route and stop or give way signs or markings must be installed on the minor arms."

* There is a boat haul-out area at Northcote Pt under the northern end of the Harbour Bridge, that is known as the "Gold Hole". I've asked locals and looked online, but I cannot find any reference to this. Does anyone know the origin of the name?