Ask Phoebe: Slow speeds at Newmarket for some time yet

The Newmarket Viaduct opens to southbound traffic later this year. Photo / Greg Bowker

Q. Do you know when the Southern Motorway between the Newmarket Viaduct and Greenlane will be finished and opened up to 100km/h again? Janine Carson, Auckland.

A. The first part of the Newmarket Connection project will see the existing southbound viaduct replaced and the motorway southbound expanded to four lanes as far as Greenlane. The new viaduct opens to southbound traffic at the end of this year, but the 70km/h speed limit will remain in place until the whole viaduct replacement project is finished in 2012, as a safety precaution.

The Southern Motorway widening is scheduled to finish in February next year, and at this time the Transport Agency will make a decision about the timing of restoring the speed limit to 100km/h between the viaduct and Greenlane.

You can get updates on the project by phoning 0508 CONNECT (0508 266-6328).

Q. As a recreational cyclist and a past motorcyclist, I have always done the old trick of (carefully) coming up on the inside of a stationary line of vehicles at an intersection to get to the head of the line. As there are now green boxes for cyclists at some intersections, I assume this is still permitted. Am I correct? Linda Waters, Auckland.

A. As far as I am aware, as a cyclist you may do this.

Q. Is there any plan in place to widen the Northern Motorway between Sunset Rd overbridge to Oteha Valley Rd? With the motorway having been widened from Tristram Ave to Upper Harbour Drive, the daily traffic jam has merely moved several kilometres up the road. This is because of the reduction from three lanes to two under the overpass and traffic joining from Upper Harbour Drive. Nick Bamfield, North Shore.

A. I can find no reference to any such project. I would think that the oxidation ponds near Rosedale Rd would make any widening problematic.

Q. Roberta Crescent in Orewa contains a T-junction with a round traffic island in it, like a roundabout. There are no give way signs at the T-junction. Drivers treat the island as a roundabout and expect traffic entering it to give way. I believe that the normal right-hand give way rule applies and that the roundabout is just a round traffic island. In other words, turning traffic should give way to the right. Is this correct? George Robinson, Orewa.

A. In the absence of give way signs, you must obey the right-hand rule and give way to traffic approaching from your right, no matter where you are in Roberta Crescent.