Traffic increase on Whanganui street prompts change of give way rules at nearby intersection

Changes have been made to the give way rules at the intersection of Polson St and Manuka St. Photo / Bevan Conley

Increased traffic on a street in Castlecliff has resulted in the give way rules of a nearby intersection being changed.

Whanganui District Council transportation manager Damien Wood said there had been a priority change at the intersection of Polson St and Manuka St.

Manuka St traffic now has the right of way, with give way signs installed on Polson St. Previously Polson St traffic had the right of way and Manuka St traffic had to give way.

Wood said the change was made after traffic counts showed more vehicles now using Manuka St, in both directions, rather than Polson St.

“Traffic using Manuka St has grown since the Mill Rd extension, which leads into Manuka St, was completed around 2020,” he said.

The change in priority was a regulatory decision made by a road-controlling authority and was not subject to public consultation.

“It is appreciated that the public may have different views on the merits of any change but ultimately safety decisions rest with the council as part of day-to-day engineering activities.”

The change has been notified at the site through the use of additional signs indicating the new road layout.

“This is the approved process for notifying changes for residents and road users,” Wood said.

The work involved changing the markings and regulatory signage on the roads, with no physical reconstruction required.

Wood said at this stage there were no plans to change priority for any other intersections in Whanganui.

Finn Williams is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle in early 2022 and regularly covers stories about business, events and emergencies. He also enjoys writing opinion columns on whatever interests him.