15th Ave widening proposal

Changes for 15th Ave traffic are on the horizon.

Tauranga City Council is looking at widening 15th Ave from Alexander Street to Burrows Street, in order to alleviate some of the peak hour congestion.

Traffic moving out of town is brought to a crawl every day as vehicles moving away from the Fraser Street lights squeeze from two lanes into one at Grace Ave.

A council report is looking at the suitability of widening 15th Ave/Turret Road in the outbound direction from the Fraser/15th Ave signals, to relieve afternoon peak hour queue spillback from the short exit merge, which adversely affects the Fraser Street intersection.

Some modelling work has been done and the initial email from city council transport manager Martin Parkes has come back to the Transport Committee, and will later go to the full council for a decision, says Transport committee chairman Rick Curach.

It was originally Hori BOP's idea to extend the two laning from Grace Avenue down to Burrows Street, which will allow more traffic to flow through those intersections.

'Sometime only a few cars get though when the lights are green and you can't move,” says Rick. 'This will get a few extra cars through every lights phase.”

Also under discussion is placing traffic lights at Burrows Street and blocking the Turret Road access onto 15th Ave.

The idea is worth pursuing says Rick. The decisions to be made are does the council proceed, and if so when. It is unlikely construction will start in the next financial year.

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10 comments

Band-aid

Posted on 20-02-2017 12:36 | By Chris

This proposal will do NOTHING to resolve the congestion. Unless council is prepared to fulfill broken promises of widening all the way back (including the causeway) there is no point in spending another dime. Widening this particular proposed portion is nonsense - it won't increase traffic capacity of the system at all.Here's a frustrating piece of info for all Welcome Bay etc residents to ponder: it would cost about half of the Council's budget for its new downtown premises to add a second causeway and widen the entire system to four lanes. But it's not on the current 10 year plan.


It will just move the bottleneck

Posted on 20-02-2017 12:42 | By The Caveman

250 meters from Grace Road to Burrows Street. The only REAL solution is 2 lanes all the way to Welcome Bay - and that requires a NEW bridge along side the existing one at the end of Turret Road. And if that is to be done, make it 4 lanes each way, all the way from Fraser Street.


Shifting not Fixing

Posted on 20-02-2017 12:53 | By Johnney

Council proposes to spend over $4M downtown on a couple of streets. Thought the Hairini bridge widening was more of a priority.


Think

Posted on 20-02-2017 14:09 | By thebrad

Has Martin Parkes got rocks in his head for brains. The whole think needs to be widened bridge and all its smiple physics if there is a bottle neck things will back up. Im sure a muppett could do a better job. Stop doing things half pie go all the way then its done you can move on to the next mess, like bayfair, Elizabeth street/motor way exit, Hewletts road say i go on.


all roads ...

Posted on 20-02-2017 14:10 | By timor2011

all roads still lead to one! it will just cause congestion somewhere else.


Please keep the Pahutukawa

Posted on 20-02-2017 15:09 | By Ruff as Gutts

No need to widen! Just block Grace, Burrows and Turret off and the traffic will flow a lot better. Maybe post a cop to catch red light runners too.


blocked roads .....

Posted on 20-02-2017 16:47 | By begesch

.... being it Turret Road / 15th. Av or Cameron road down from Barkes corner in the morning, or the same stretches the other way around in the evening will not be decongested by making the bottleneck longer. Get those roads as 3 lanes, 2 lanes into city in morning, switch to 2 lanes out of city in the evening. It's possible, other countries do that with tunnels and traffic lights, or even the longest escalator in Hong Kong, down till 10am up from then till midnight.


Martin & Rick

Posted on 20-02-2017 17:48 | By Capt_Kaveman

both need the boot but one was re elected what a shame, this is 10years behind and needs to be 4 lanes all the way, the way it is now is a disgrace yet people still vote for these slap up jobs by voting in stale councilors


What a joke!

Posted on 20-02-2017 18:30 | By cprrose

The problem will never be fixed till there is a 4 lane bridge, just move the bottle neck down the road abit! Doesn't take a rocket scientist to work that out!


Just Block the Access!

Posted on 20-02-2017 18:55 | By WestieMum

Totally agree "Ruff as Gutts"! The reason for the back up is all the impatient drivers who cut down the side streets, and then the frustratingly well meaning of us who have sat patiently in line then slow/stop to let them in! Either block the exits, even at least during peak hour, or drivers do not let them in. Simple. Road does not need widening. And yes, a cop at the lights might help with the constant red light runners, or those that block the intersection.


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