Ask Phoebe: Springs interchange to get a major makeover

Photo / Russell Smith

Plans being made to improve section of Northwestern Motorway.

Could you please find out if the relevant roading people are aware of the chaos at the Western Springs motorway interchange, not just during peak times but all weekend? This is a very poorly designed interchange, perhaps originally designed when Western Springs was a western outpost. I'm really hoping they are planning on doing something before the Waterview connection is completed because with no onramps heading south on SH20 from Waterview this will mean a further increase in traffic using the Western Springs interchange which appears to be already running over capacity and is in dire need of an improved layout. Dom Hines, Pt Chevalier.

Good news. The Transport Agency says plans are well in hand to improve this section of the Northwestern Motorway for Auckland's drivers. Together with Auckland Transport, the agency will start work this year to widen the motorway to eight lanes between the St Lukes and Great North Rd interchanges. At the same time, improvements will be made to the St Lukes Road/Great North Rd intersection and a second bridge will be constructed next to the existing one on St Lukes Rd to span the motorway. The work is one of six projects to connect the Northwestern and Southwestern Motorways, and it is scheduled to be completed before the Waterview tunnels open to traffic which is planned for late 2016.

Does a bus lane or T2 lane cease to be that after hours? Quay St from Parnell to Britomart has a bus lane from 7am-9am Monday to Friday. Outside these hours does it become no-man's-land, or does it become a normal lane for all traffic and/or parking? On Tamaki Drive from Hammerheads to Ngapipi Rd there is a T2 lane (buses, motorbikes, cycles and T2) rather than a bus lane. The only difference (other than the green T2 or bus lane markings) between these lanes and normal road lanes is that they have a solid white line between lanes rather than dotted. Tim Graham, Remuera.

Outside of the times posted for bus lanes and T2 and T3 lanes, they become available for general use. Parking is permitted in these out-of-hours times, subject to any posted time restrictions.

I find the light phasing on the corner of Great South Rd and Manukau Rd intersection confusing. When turning left from Broadway into Great South Rd it appears that traffic is constantly going through a red light, the one positioned on the far side of St Marks Rd. Am I right and what traffic does that light control? Ken Rollo, Auckland.

At this intersection, there are two sets of traffic lights, one on the corner of St Marks Rd and the other on the Great South Rd corner. Each has its own set of arrows, though they are co-ordinated. Thus, when the green left turn arrow appears, it is set at a sharp angle for St Marks Rd, and at a more obtuse angle for Great South Rd, and both arrows appear at the same time. The same applies for the red arrows.