Traffic light pole falls onto Wellington street

The traffic light crashed down at the intersection of Whitmore and Featherston Street in Wellington. Photo / Melissa Nightingale

An overhead traffic-light pole that crashed down into the middle of a central Wellington intersection may have been suffering from earthquake stress.

The pole, at the intersection of Whitmore and Featherston streets, appeared to have snapped off at the base, about 10.45am.

No one was hurt and traffic was diverted around it.

"We're kind of suspecting that there might be a bit of post-earthquake stress that's brought it down," Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said.

"They're not designed to just fall over like that."

Council would have to inspect the pole and determine the cause of the fall, then decide whether or not they would need to check all other poles around the city.

"We just have to look at that one and try to make a call as to why it has snapped, whether it is just past its use-by date or whether it's been stressed by the quake."

He didn't expect checking all the other traffic poles would be a huge job.

The traffic light has now been cleared away and temporary lights are in place.