Wellington’s controversial Cobham Drive crossing to open next week

The controversial pedestrian crossing on State Highway One on Cobham Drive in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Wellington’s $7.4 billion transport plan has completed its first construction project, albeit delayed.

A controversial pedestrian crossing across State Highway 1 on Cobham Drive near the airport will open on Tuesday at 10am.

The crossing is controlled by traffic lights and will provide safer access to new cycling and walking coastal paths between Miramar, Evans Bay and Oriental Bay, to the central city.

Opponents have said the crossing will only make congestion worse by forcing cars to slow down to a walking pace on State Highway 1. They have advocated for an overbridge instead, which has been estimated to cost between $10m and $17m.

As of October, the cost of the crossing was significantly cheaper at just $2.4m.

The crossing was meant to be open by Christmas, but has been delayed by material supply and freight issues.

Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM) programme director Sarah Gardner said the crossing will help deliver a liveable city that is safe and easy to move around in using different modes of transport

”From Tuesday morning, if you are driving on Cobham Drive, please be aware of the new pedestrian crossing lights and take extra care and be ready to stop. And remember, speed limits on this road have been reduced to 60km/h.

”If you are crossing this road and walking or biking or using a wheelchair, please use this crossing as it is the only safe place to cross for nearly 2km along this busy four-lane stretch of road. Take extra care while everyone adjusts to this new crossing.”

Earlier this month there was a near miss at the crossing. A local motorist who has lived in the eastern suburbs for 40 years said she could have killed a pedestrian who was using the unopened crossing, had she not slammed on the brakes in time.

Gardner said consultation in 2021 found half of the respondents believed it was important or very important to improve safety along this stretch of State Highway 1.

Speed limits have also been reduced to improve safety. Last year the speed limit on Cobham Drive was reduced from 70km/h to 60km/h.

Other safety measures have been introduced to improve awareness and visibility when approaching the crossing, Gardner said.

These include road markings, advance warning signs to alert drivers, as well as anti-skid surfacing.

LGWM will monitor how many people use the crossing and its effect on traffic as part of investigations into alternative long-term options for the eastern suburbs.

National’s transport spokesman Simeon Brown has previously revealed LGWM had spent $2.4m on the crossing, as of the end of October 2022, Of that, $1.86m was for construction costs and $535,000 was for consultants.

The final cost of the project is still being finalised, but it’s understood construction costs will be about $2m.

The Cobham Drive crossing is the first construction project completed by LGWM.

This year construction will start on reconfiguring the Golden Mile, where private vehicles will no longer be allowed.

Detailed investigations will also get under way on a second Mt Victoria tunnel and mass rapid transit to the southern suburbs.