KEY POINTS:
Q: My concern is Westney Rd in Manukau City. In this no-exit street we now have a number of huge warehouses, with the result that we have a constant stream of big rig trucks passing through. Where they go on to Kirkbride Rd there are three schools, four motels, two halls, a church, several playing fields, and the SPCA. When are we likely to see a roading link to the motorway? Brian Fickling, Manukau City.
A: Good news, Brian. Manukau City Council and the airport company are in the middle of building a link between the business area and George Bolt Drive, and it should be open in September or October.
Q: How do the lights on the bridge between Panmure and Pakuranga work? Are they traffic or time controlled? When they change direction how is the change made and what time is allowed for the centre lane to clear? Dale Spittle, Mt Wellington.
A: Traffic direction changes on the centre lane of the bridge depending on demand. This is measured at the intersections at either end of the bridge and when certain volumes are reached, the signals change configuration, so peak traffic has two lanes. Doing this takes time to ensure there are no accidents. The lane signals close the centre lane to both directions and allow time for a vehicle to cross the bridge at slower than normal speed, plus additional time as a safety factor. The signals then change the displays over the middle lane.
Although this action is normally driven by traffic demand, a back-up plan is set off by a time command to ensure the Monday-to-Friday peak periods are catered for and delays are minimised. This plan is activated and held for the desired time whether the system has automatically changed or not.
When maintenance is necessary, the system can also be manually forced into one direction or the other depending upon the nature of the work.
Q: The road surface of the Pakuranga Bridge over the Tamaki River is severely pockmarked, causing major vibration in a car. it is just on the Mt Wellington side of the bridge. When will it be resurfaced? Don Howarth, Mellons Bay.
A: As you've probably noticed, Don, the work has now been done. Apologies for the delay in replying.
* There's still something of a conundrum on the Shelly Beach Rd offramp from the Harbour Bridge. When you come off the bridge there's a 50km/h sign before you meet the link road traffic from Westhaven, which has an 80km/h limit. This means the bridge traffic is slower, or should be, than the Westhaven traffic, which can cause real problems. Please, Transit, could the link road not have a 50km/h speed limit too?
* And Greg Sheehan from the New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association tells me the established route position (ERP) signs described in Tuesday's column are used by drivers of heavy vehicles to identify culverts and bridges on the state highway network. Overweight transporters operating on specific permits from Transit are required to cross bridges at a certain speed and position on the bridge, to use the strongest part of the bridge. In some cases this is at "crawl central", or even in the opposite lane. Nearly always these transporters are accompanied by pilot vehicles warning of a large load following. Mr Sheehan says it's a pity some motorists do not heed the pilot vehicle warnings and try to cross the bridge at the same time.
