New roundabout for high-risk Chartwell intersection in Hamilton

Work begins on a roundabout at the intersection of Bankwood Rd and Comries Rd in Hamilton. Photo / Supplied

A busy intersection in the suburb of Chartwell is set to become safer for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists with construction of a new roundabout beginning on Monday. The roundabout at the intersection of Bankwood and Comries Rds will include shared off-road paths and raised safety platforms to improve safety for all users and help cope with heavy traffic flows.

Hamilton City Council has adopted a Vision Zero target of ending deaths and serious injuries on the city's roads, which means the council designs and delivers infrastructure that recognises humans can make mistakes on the road, but should not pay for it with a life.

Hamilton City Council's city transportation unit manager, Jason Harrison, says: "The intersection has over 11,200 vehicles use it each day – it is near schools, malls and bus stops.

"It was identified as high-risk following 15 crashes in the past five years – two resulting in serious injury."

Contractors will be working hard to minimise disruption, but delays are expected and motorists are urged to take another route and allow extra time for their journey.
Traffic management will be in place while the project is under way, and construction is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Investigatory works on SH1/SH29 intersection

Meanwhile, Waka Kotahi NZTA advises that investigation on the intersection of State Highway 1 and SH29 south of Cambridge will be done overnight on Sunday, weather permitting.

The work is part of investigations needed for the design of the two-lane roundabout that will replace the intersection of SH1 and 29 at Piarere. This year, the NZ Upgrade Programme announced funding of $58 million to upgrade this intersection to improve safety on this high-volume traffic route.

SH1 and SH29 will remain open in both directions and there will be temporary traffic management in place to keep workers and motorists safe. Work will start at 6pm on Sunday and end at 6am on Monday to minimise disruption for motorists, however, motorists should expect short delays. For the investigation works occurring in live traffic lanes, traffic management will include electronic traffic lights that are manually controlled for stopping traffic and a 30km/h temporary speed limit through the work zone. For the investigation works occurring in the road shoulders, traffic management will have a 50km/h temporary speed limit through the work zone