Hill St / SH 1 Intersection Puhoi to Warkworth Project - Submission to NZTA to construct improvements at Hill Street Intersection prior to the Project Construction
What is the problem? Delays occur not only at peak hours but can occur at any time of the day. The intersection configuration is poorly managed. It chokes very easily.
Elizabeth Street traffic
Who gives way to what?
And here?
Informal Slip Lane SH1 North
Informal left lane SH1 North
SH1 northbound traffic blocked by right turn queue
Existing pedestrian crossing facility to northern suburbs
More specifically. Traffic does not clear freely when the lights change. Queues are often blocked. Inadequate capacity on SH1. Traffic exiting both Elizabeth St and Kowhai Park are faced with concurrent give ways. Pedestrians are badly catered for.
How will the RONS project effect the Hill St Intersection?
What do we Know? That half of the traffic on the Project is actually going to/from Warkworth. To do this this traffic will travel 2km north to go south. Most of the Project’s Warkworth traffic goes through the Hill Street Intersection. It is not logical to go north to go south. It is not economic. A connection to/from the Project south of Warkworth would reduce traffic at Hill Street Intersection.
What are the predicted traffic flows in 2026?
What is the predicted effect of the Project on Hill St Intersection in 2026? SH1 South traffic is down 32% and Hill St traffic is up 30% SH1 North traffic is 6% down and Elizabeth St traffic is 11% up. Matakana Road and Sandspit traffic is much the same. These % do not recognise that traffic in the 12 years has also increased by 4% pa (48%). THE TRAFFIC AT THE HILL ST INTERSECTION IS NOT REDUCED!
Proposed Matakana Link Road At Hill Street Intersection only 40% of the eastern traffic comes from Matakana Road. 60% comes from Sandspit Road 33% of the Matakana Road and Sandspit Road traffic turns off into Elizabeth Street. A significant % will be going to Woodcocks Road The Link cannot reduce the eastern traffic at Hill St Intersection by more than 20% ( probably less than 15%). Link is useful but is NOT A SOLUTION for the Hill Street Intersection !
Problems with Project Construction Traffic at the Hill St Intersection Clearance rate of traffic on SH1 through the signals per cycle is low. Typically a max of 15 to 20 vehicles. An addition of 2 vehicles per cycle of construction traffic on SH1 is not minor as stated by the NZTA consultant. Concrete and Metal truck and trailer units from Matakana have a very poor clearance rate because of stacking problems around Elizabeth Street. This is not minor as stated by the NZTA consultant. Truck and trailer units can block Elizabeth St. CONSTRUCTION TRAFFIC IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM
Truck and trailer over line but still blocking Elizabeth Street
What are the options for Hill St Intersection? NZTA 2009 Proposal or similar. Large Roundabout Do Minimum (10 years only) Do Nothing
NZTA current proposed upgrade (2009) NZTA say this will not be started until after the Project is completed. This suggests that Hill Street Improvements will not be complete for 10 years. In the meantime the Hill St Intersection problems only get worse. Growth rates in the interim are likely to be of the order of 4% pa. Construction in 10 years time will be more difficult at the completion of the Project because this traffic growth.
Current (2009) NZTA proposal Main Features This proposal offers a managed solution Includes traffic Signals at both Sandspit Road and Hill St. All Elizabeth St outbound traffic goes through the main traffic signals. Intersection now has 5 legs increasing signal delays. Intersection is more than twice as large creating longer delays while signals change. Stacking lengths are improved. Additional lanes from south but no widening of SH1 bridge south of Shoesmith Street. No right turn into Hill St from SH1 north.
Large Roundabout Possible alternative design based on a rotary intersection.
Advantages of the Large Roundabout Rotary intersections have simple ‘give way to the right’ decisions. Large size means one decision taken at a time Addition of a SH1 straight through only lane with traffic signals gives a direct path for the major flow. Traffic signals intercept the major flow giving minor legs the opportunity to enter the rotary intersection. Hill St can be entered from the north via the roundabout c/f NZTA option. Construct now and Project construction traffic will be improved. Warkworth residents will have better access
Advantage to pedestrians The new road bridge over the stream allows pedestrians and mobility scooters access to the traffic signals via an underpass. The traffic signal sequence allows more time to cross to Warkworth. Traffic is one way and there is no threat to pedestrians from turning traffic.
Construction A large part of the alternative design can be constructed off the highway. The balance is improvements uses the existing construction as a base. Services are largely unaffected. Land purchase is not required.
Do Minimum (10 years only) Increases capacity SH1 both ways Improves queuing and clearance on SH1 and thus improves SH1 capacity. Improves traffic flow from Matakana and Sandspit. Improves access for pedestrians and provides access to Kowhai park. However DOES NOT SOLVE management issues at Elizabeth St.
Do Nothing Problems get worse during the construction of the Project. Project does not solve Hill St intersection, it only gets worse NZTA will ALIENATE both the SH1 users and the Warkworth/ Mahurangi residents FOR THE NEXT 10 years.
Rodney Board calls for action
Conclusion The Project is not a solution for the Hill Street Intersection. Construction Traffic from the Project will significantly increase the problem. Problems at Hill St Intersection will only get worse Procrastination is not a solution Prior improvement of Hill St Intersection should be a condition of the Project Thank you for your attention
Recommend
More recommend
