KEY POINTS:
Please can you tell us when the bridge over the new motorway on Dominion Rd is going to open? It has looked so close since Christmas. Even if they opened two lanes it would ease congestion, especially in the morning.
A. Roper, Roskill South.
The Dominion Rd interchange is due to open early next year. At the moment the eastbound onramp and westbound offramp are being built on half the bridge. When it's finished, the bridge will carry two lanes in each direction.
However, congestion will really only be relieved when the whole of the State Highway 20 motorway is completed and open, and this is still some way off.
I travel daily on the new North Shore bus lanes, and I must say that a fabulous landscaping job has been done. But is there a maintenance contract on the new plantings? I notice at the pond area near Akoranga there are a number of wild wattles growing which will eventually take over the plantings.
Ella Harris, Glenfield.
Transit does have maintenance programmes for the motorway gardens. They include sweeping, removing rubbish and debris, and weeding so that the native plants are not swamped. So the wattles will get their comeuppance.
Every day, along with thousands of other commuters, I risk my life turning right from Luckens Rd on to Hobsonville Rd, crossing traffic heading to and from the Northwestern and Upper Harbour motorways. Given that these motorways will not be connected until 2015, are there any plans for traffic lights to be installed at this intersection?
Julie Clist, Hobsonville.
Transit has looked at putting lights here, but it's a tricky one, because of the staggered intersection with Trig Rd. Also, it's thought that lights could cause further delays on Hobsonville Rd.
However, the possibility has not been ruled out completely, and Transit will continue to monitor the traffic around here while the new motorway is being built.
And the State Highway 20 Hobsonville deviation is due for completion in 2012.
I drive along the Northwestern Motorway every day and often see 50cc scooters using the cycleway alongside the motorway. Is this allowed? As they are not allowed on motorways, this would be a much faster way for me to get to work.
Niki Smith, Henderson.
50cc scooters, or mopeds, are classified as motorised vehicles by Land Transport New Zealand, and are therefore not allowed on footpaths or cycleways. They can use the motorways, but both Transit and the police believe that it's not safe to do so unless they can keep up with the speed of motorway traffic. From observation, this is not a big ask in the morning or afternoon rush hours.
A similar situation exists with overweight vehicles, which are not allowed to use the motorways if they are unable to travel at 70km/h or more. I didn't know that.
