Traffic lights for busy roundabout

A busy intersection in the heart of Tauranga's CBD is in line for a major shake-up, with the NZ Transport Agency unveiling plans to improve peak hour traffic congestion – and move the city's iconic flagpole in the process.

In a post on Facebook today, NZTA outlined plans to change the Elizabeth Street–Takitimu Drive–State Highway 2 intersection roundabout to traffic lights in an effort to improve traffic flows at peak times.


Tauranga's iconic flag poll will be moved due to work on the busy intersection.

'As locals know, the current roundabout gets rather backed up and traffic lights are a better way to manage traffic in rush hour traffic,” reads the post.

'We'll be sharing more info at an open day in the next few weeks, and will also let you know the work programme and work dates once they've been agreed – at this stage it's looking like a May start.”

NZTA is also in discussions with iwi and Tauranga City Council about where to relocate the existing flagpole.

SunLive is currently attempting to contact NZTA and Tauranga City Council regarding the roading project.

What do you think of the announcement? Does the intersection need changing? Will traffic lights lighten the traffic congestion?

NZTA's outline for the proposed Elizabeth St-Takitimu Drive-State Highway 2 intersection changes.

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31 comments

waste of time

Posted on 10-03-2015 13:50 | By Anarchy 289

unbelievable what a waste of time never had any issues with this intersection lights will cause more back ups than ever before. just try teaching people how to use a roundabout would be better idea


Why not

Posted on 10-03-2015 13:55 | By Angel74

looks like a good idea but what about traffic heading toward the city centre from Glasgow street, or turning into Glasgow street from excisting roundabout?????


Noooooooooooo

Posted on 10-03-2015 14:07 | By 2cents

No lights!! What a ridiculous idea. So when traffic is light? You have to wait regardless. Not a good idea at all!


Your kidding me

Posted on 10-03-2015 14:10 | By gremlin

<> On FaceBook!! Dont they have a web site!!


Ironic....

Posted on 10-03-2015 14:14 | By Jimmy Ehu

when the usual rhetoric is all for the installation of as many round a bouts as possible, as traffic lights hinder the flow of traffic, have to scratch my already very scratched head here, it only lasts an hour maximum, and what the hell do you expect during "rush hour" take another route home if it is an issue, and if drivers actually new how to drive into and through this connection the snarl up would be further reduced,see a gap take it!!!,it is also traffic trying to force their way out of 3rd avenue west that add to the conjestion, maybe an option would be to close that off between certain hours as per the Otumoetai causeway bridge.


Waste of Money.

Posted on 10-03-2015 14:28 | By The author of this comment has been removed.

Lights are OK at busy times and everybody gets a fair go. Other than this they hinder traffic. In Queensland they have a brilliant idea in those quiet times. A flashing amber light on all corners means proceed with caution obeying the right hand give way rule. Then I would say do it!


Out of the frying pan ...

Posted on 10-03-2015 14:28 | By Seriously?

How about having Glasgow St exit via 3rd Ave West only. "3rd lanes" on the expressway that merge the other side of the intersection are a waste of time - it just creates a bottle-neck further down the line and only causes accidents.


There's far worse

Posted on 10-03-2015 14:30 | By What?

I'd have thought that Bayfair and Tauriko intersections were way, way worse than this one. Spend the money where it needs spending.


perfect

Posted on 10-03-2015 14:55 | By thebrad

its about time, traffic lights are a good idea the round about is dangerous and favors traffic heading towards Bethlehem. i get stuck on elizabeth 5 days a week, it sucks i dont agree with other things the NZTA does but this is a great idea. and to all the thick people that dont think it will work....go the other way.


perfect

Posted on 10-03-2015 14:55 | By thebrad

its about time, traffic lights are a good idea the round about is dangerous and favors traffic heading towards Bethlehem. i get stuck on elizabeth 5 days a week, it sucks i dont agree with other things the NZTA does but this is a great idea. and to all the thick people that dont think it will work....go the other way.


Could be good...

Posted on 10-03-2015 15:40 | By penguin

...provided that the phasing is "on demand" at night and weekends and not like the Welcome Bay/Hairini lights that are 'plan phased' even at midnight! There is also the spectre of numerous 'outages' as was the case at its sister intersection, Elizabeth and Cameron.


Great

Posted on 10-03-2015 16:25 | By Rate1

Obviously some commentators haven't been approaching the round-a-bout before 8:30am and near 5pm!! Perhaps still in bed?? It is either Takitimu Drive backed up towards the Mount (if in the morning) with all the traffic turning up Elizabeth St from 11th Ave end. In the afternoon, traffic backed up Elizabeth St because of the through traffic from the Mount end heading south to 11th Ave, Bethlehem or The Lakes intersection. Therefore an excellent solution - as long as the lights timing is automatically adjusted for when traffic is light during the day.


Waste of tax payers money

Posted on 10-03-2015 16:59 | By Twinkle Toes

What a waste of money. Other roads need money spending on them. You never hear of any accidents here. People will just need to be more patient.


Help us !!!

Posted on 10-03-2015 21:31 | By Kathryn

Please help us in Welcome Bay first. the lights have been great but since Christmas we are back to square one with traffic backed up James Cook again. Before Christmas we were clear to the lights. Why open more subdivisions here when you just ignore all other development. If more lights were synchronized the city's traffic woes may improve.


Simple soultion

Posted on 10-03-2015 21:49 | By The Caveman

Add a flyover for the traffic coming from the Mount heading towards Judea. Thus only the traffic wanting to enter / leave Elizabeth Street need to use the round-about.


Crazy

Posted on 11-03-2015 07:28 | By Leader

Never seen a motorway with lights on. Bayfair intersection needs lights before this one especially as they spent $1.2m just to study the intersection to decide if lights were required. I could have told them for nothing.


Fools

Posted on 11-03-2015 08:13 | By Capt_Kaveman

just put in an onramp which should have been done in the 1st place


Flag poles

Posted on 11-03-2015 08:54 | By YOGI BEAR

Why is there consultation on that? The last time there was anything interesting about flag poles was many a year ago, and that was simply that it got chopped down, so why consult now.


.

Posted on 11-03-2015 09:32 | By newton_123

Fix the Bethlehem roundabout


ooh them lights...

Posted on 11-03-2015 10:06 | By Me again

Then we can be called 'City of a thousand lightz'. When they put the lights up at Maungatapu round-about, did, or has that make much difference to the traffic volume at peak time, nah, but good luck to that. The flag pole well, Cameron road is just as good as anywhere else.


About time

Posted on 11-03-2015 10:59 | By YOGI BEAR

That will even out the traffic movements, as noted by some below the Mount traffic in the morning cuts off other traffic that then banks up. the reverse in the afternoon. It could be a lot better. Perhaps they should add a free turn left off Elizabeth and of the expressway from the Mount.


No Flyover?

Posted on 11-03-2015 14:52 | By TRGNick

Traffic lights are a relatively short term solution; the real solution is to have a westbound flyover so through traffic does not impede traffic to or from Elizabeth Street. And hey, here's another thought; how about a west-bound on-ramp to the expressway to allow traffic to join there rather than traipsing all the way down to Elizabeth Street to join? Also one at 16th Ave while we're at it. Won't happen of course; good old "think small" Tauranga


TRGNick

Posted on 12-03-2015 17:08 | By YOGI BEAR

If there was a free left turn into Elizabeth Street and a free left off virtually all issues would be solved. heaven forbid something simple, easy and little cost was to get in the way of a hungry consultant working on a percentage of the value of the job.


No way!

Posted on 13-03-2015 23:05 | By Vman

Leave the intersection as it is! Why waste 2 million and achieve nothing? The roundabout works fine is for 95% of the day. Spend less money and put an on ramp in at 11th ave so half the congested traffic at Elizabeth st (which is only around 5pm on weekdays)has another access point. Problem solved and with a far better outcome. Im sure that will be ruled out as viable by NZTA and if so, then the best compromise would be to just put a traffic light on the expressway before the roundabout so at 5pm till 530pm weekdays they could stop start the traffic to help avoid the Elizabeth street backlog.


VaughnL

Posted on 14-03-2015 19:27 | By YOGI BEAR

I agree with you, a waste of $2.8m and some. At best a free left turn on and off Elizabeth Street + tweak the lights at the top to provide a little more time for Elizabeth traffic to clear would solve the problem easily.


You know what?

Posted on 17-03-2015 11:49 | By 2cents

I don't know why I bother commenting on anything related to government whether it be national or local because they don't listen and they do what they want anyway!


2 cents

Posted on 17-03-2015 16:25 | By YOGI BEAR

Agree, it is a challenge, the general rule is that the decision is made before the public know anything, the consultation process is merely to keep the punters happy like someone is listen, but not really.


Cuckoo land NZTA musings

Posted on 23-03-2015 11:05 | By ROCCO

I agree there are far worse Tauranga intersections than this crying out for lights and BAYFAIR is Number 1 on the list.Takatimu only an issue 8.00am to 8.45am and 5pm to 5.45pm the rest of the time is pretty good.Now for the flagpole nonsense the jingoistic clowns that drove this madness should pay for it to be relocated or demolished not TCC Ratepayers who were assured this thing would never cost them one cent altho' they have already been lumbered with the ongoing maitainance costs running at $5000 per annum.Yeah Right as usual.


ROCCO

Posted on 23-03-2015 21:39 | By YOGI BEAR

That sounds like the usual RORT that ratepayers get lumbered with every day. One of the worst is the Art gallery at $850,000 each and every year, ratepayers have been ripped off for years with that, where does this madness out of Council come from and when is it going to stop.


Promise to TCC ratepayers

Posted on 25-03-2015 15:21 | By YOGI BEAR

That the flag pole would nerver cost ratepayers anything, yet here we see every year repair costs, now NZTA are off loading the cost to relocate the thing, guess that will cost mega money to and they wont want to pay for it. Here comes another raft of consultant bills and more likely $500,000 by the time they have all feasted off it and tipped a bit of concrete in a hole to plant the pole again.


Sack them.

Posted on 03-04-2015 09:14 | By Kenworthlogger

Remember which councillors waste money and when it is election time then use that chance to sack the damn lot....


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