Solutions sought for dangerous intersection
Lights or a roundabout for the dangerous Gordonton/Thomas Rd intersection were discussed at Hamilton City Council’s Growth and Infrastructure meeting last week.
But city infrastructure general manager Chris Allen said it could take a year before they were ‘ready to go’, reports the Waikato Times.
In the meantime, other options including temporary traffic signals or lightening would be considered.
The upgrade would probably be a roundabout, a report to councillors said, and would cost about $6m.
Staff asked for money this financial year to start preparing for the upgrade, and for councillors to consider construction funding in 2018/19.
Councillors voted unanimously for the idea – but still has to go through the finance committee and long-term plan deliberations.
Cr James Casson said locals were demanding a solution, the Times said.
“The intersection is no longer fit for the amount of traffic it handles every day.”
…Councillors voted unanimously to send the request for immediate funding to the finance committee, and for staff to put construction funding in the start of the long-term plan for further discussion.
In the meantime, Mr Allen’s earlier advice holds true – “We urge all road users to take extra care in this area, and as at all our city intersections, we ask drivers to slow down, drive to the conditions and look twice for other vehicles.”
Click here for the full story in the Waikato Times.
Opening up the other end of St James drive would reduce the traffic by 25%.
The Puketaha Gordington St James drive crossing needs a roundabout.
Eddy is absolutely correct. It would be much better to open the Puketaha- Gordonton Rd – St James Dr crossing which, I believe, is already in the Master Plan. If we install a traffic light or make a roundabout at Thomas Rd.-Gordonton, then the St James-Puketaha may never be built.
When the St James subdivision was done the developer contributed to the cost of a roundabout at Puketaha road which has not been built to date! Why spend $6M solving half the problem: build what the council has had contributions for!