The room went quiet when a “splitter (road) islands” proposal costing only tens of thousands of dollars was offered as a solution to South Wairarapa’s worst traffic black spot – used by more than 5,000 vehicles a day.
The intersection of Princess Street and State Highway 53 is the district’s highest risk traffic crossing site, with Waka Kotahi/NZTA regional manager Mark Owen advising councillors on alternative safety measures. The costliest would be a round-about at up to “a million dollars.”
With 3,500 vehicles travelling on SH53, and the other 1,700 on Princess St, the daily tally was “a very significant number,” he told the council’s Strategy Working Committee.
Owen offered members a set of traffic calming options, including: lowering speed levels on approach roads, rounding off current corners, adding road surface (“splitter”) islands – as well as better road signage and surface painting.
“This is a quick solution,” to the corner’s traffic issues he said of the traffic islands recommendation (see picture).
The STOP-signed corner has produced eight accidents notified to police in the 2020 – 2024 period, including one serious collision. All the crashes were in light, dry weather – with 60 percent occurring between noon and 3:00 p.m.
“Any crash is significant,” he said, noting that some collisions at the site were not recorded as police/emergency services had not been involved.
In a note on “Safety Metrics,” Owen said the intersection is “Not in the top 20 (worst spots) for the wider Wellington roading network,” but was the “Highest risk in SWDC.”
Up to nine percent of traffic through the intersection is heavy trucks, given southern Princess St is part of the heavy traffic bypass for vehicles going to the south.
Councillor Pip Maynard said one problem was vehicles on SH53 travelling too fast as they neared the intersection, as the speed limit of 50 kph was only sign-posted a few metres from the black spot corner. She suggested the 50 kph sign be placed much further back from the intersection.
Some residents have called for a 50 kph limit to apply from the SH53 rise at the edge of town _ and before vehicles reach Palliser Estate’s Cellar Door entranceway.
