Tangle over angle at raised crossing keeps Nelson city lane closed

Monday, 14 December 2020

Contractors fix a raised crossing at the Halifax St-Rutherford St intersection after it was found to be unsuitable for buses.

A new raised crossing in Nelson city designed to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists turned out to be a trap for buses.

Contractors work on a “minor fix” at the intersection of Rutherford and Halifax streets after an error in the angle of the new raised crossing meant buses “may scrape the surface of the road”.

Contractors are now urgently fixing the crossing at the intersection of Rutherford St and Halifax St after it was found that buses could bottom out on the crossing.

The remedial work, estimated to cost $4000, means the left turning lane from Rutherford into Halifax remains closed to traffic.

Nelson City Council infrastructure general manager Alec Louverdis said tests showed that buses “may scrape the surface of the road” when using the turning lane.

**READ MORE:

The majority of the road cones have disappeared from Rutherford and Halifax Streets, but some remain after testing showed an error in the angle of the new raised pedestrian crossing.

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“This is due to the angle of the road at the corner, and will require a minor fix to resolve,” he said.

“On all completed roading works, including an intersection like this, council carries out tests to ensure it is appropriate for all users and to make adjustments as required.

“For now, the left turn from Rutherford Street into Halifax Street is closed while our contractor urgently completes this work. It is scheduled to be finished before Christmas.”

Louverdis said the project remained within budget. “Budgets provide for contingencies like this, and with safety being of primary concern, it is essential that we get this right before opening it to the public.”

The crossing was part of 12-weeks of roadworks, which began in September, to link the Maitai shared cycle and pedestrian pathway to the Railway Reserve path.

The works saw the closure of part of Halifax St and a forest of road cones for drivers to navigate in Rutherford and Vanguard streets. Initial changes to the Rutherford-Vanguard intersection for the works saw some drivers displaying “anarchist tendencies” , a witness said.

The closed section of Halifax St was reopened last week.

Work to reinstate a permanent layout at the intersection of Vanguard and Rutherford streets was planned for completion early next year. The intersection had had some major but temporary layout changes to allow buses to use a detour route beside Anzac Park.