On Monday 2 September, Tauranga City Council is commencing with the first stage of works on 15th Avenue. The aim of Stage 1 is to free up capacity at the Fraser Street/15th Avenue intersection so that it operates safely and efficiently, particularly during the afternoon peak travel time. This, along with restricting traffic from side roads, will see some benefit to journey time reliability along 15th Avenue towards the Hairini causeway. Work is expected to be complete by mid-2020.
Stage 1 includes:
- widening the road with two continuous southbound lanes from Fraser Street, merging to one lane after Burrows Street to give the 15th Avenue/Fraser Street intersection a better chance to clear in the afternoons
- installing traffic lights at the Burrows Street intersection to manage the traffic entering 15th Avenue and maintain a safe crossing point for people on foot and on bikes
- closing the exit from Grace Road onto 15th Avenue and closing the Turret Road slip lane to control traffic from these side streets
- installing a new shared path from Alexander Street to Mayfair Street via the new signalised crossing at Burrows Street to improve connections for pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users
- developing a new northwest-bound bus lane between Mayfair Street and Scantlebury Street to improve bus service reliability. While this lane is relatively short, it is part of possible future plans to improve the wider bus network.
The first couple of weeks of the project mainly revolve around setting the site up and beginning preliminary works.
Martin Parkes, Manager Transportation:
“We are looking forward to getting this project underway and are working to minimise any issues for road users and people living and working in this area. To ensure that the affected community is kept up to date, we will be issuing regular e-newsletters and media releases.”
The road will stay open for the duration of the project, so commuters can continue to use this main route. However, delays are expected during the works.
Senior Sergeant Craig Rawlinson, Western Bay of Plenty Road Policing:
“It is very tempting to have a good look at what’s happening with the works. However, anything that takes a driver's attention away from the road can be a potential hazard. Therefore we ask drivers to actively contribute to the prevention of further delays by keeping their eyes on the road and avoiding ‘rubbernecking’, which could potentially slow down the traffic flow.”
Earlier information about the project funding and linkage to the Urban Form and Transport Initiative (UFTI) can be found on the web page: www.tauranga.govt.nz/15th-avenue-corridor-improvements. This web page also contains a link to subscribe to a regular e-newsletter with updates about the 15th Avenue Stage 1 works.