New Timaru north end development expected to impact State Highway 1 traffic

Monday, 28 August 2023

Traffic at The Showgrounds intersection in Timaru in March - the same month the first businesses opened at the complex.

A 36-unit commercial freehold business park planned for Timaru’s north end will likely add to traffic woes already frustrating business owners and motorists, the country’s transport agency says.

Plans for the development, at 3-7 Eversley St, Timaru, and just off State Highway 1, confirmed last week, show 12 units of 40m², 14 units of 60m² and 10 units of 70m², with the development aimed at trade retail users and small business owners that would like to own the premises they run their business from.

The developer of the park is Tony Gapes, of Redwood Group, also behind The Showgrounds retail complex, just 400m down the road, on SH1.

Traffic congestion along the highway has been a bone of contention since traffic lights were turned on at The Showgrounds entrance ahead of the first store opening on March 9.

Truck drivers have complained of delays of up to 30 minutes, getting from Washdyke to Timaru at peak times, while others say traffic has been backed up as far north as SH8 – which is 2.4km from the intersection.

Waka Kotahi Traffic Agency does not have any information on the proposed business park, but after reading The Timaru Herald’s story about it last week, its senior network manager Scott McKenzie said it was likely to have more than minor effects on SH1 and road networks in the area.

The Showgrounds Business Park, at 3-7 Eversley St, Timaru, where 36 commercial units are planned.

“We can only assess the proposal once the information is formally submitted and/or we are approached by the developer or their agent,’’ he said.

A new self-service car wash was also being built on SH1, at 199 and 201 Evans St.

The site was adjacent to the entrance to The Showgrounds.

In mid-March, Waka Kotahi confirmed it had received a number of complaints about the way the intersection was operating from road users and business owners since the traffic lights became operational at the entrance to the retail complex.

However, it said congestion at the intersection could take up to a year to resolve.

Plans for the business park at Timaru's Eversley St.

At the time, Timaru District mayor Nigel Bowen said pressure needed to be put on the developer to get the work done sooner.

The matter was also a hot topic at a Timaru District Council meeting last month when Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency director regional relationships James Caygill was drilled by councillors at a infrastructure committee meeting.

At that meeting, Caygill acknowledged the construction phase for the complex was disruptive to the community.

“There is still work to come on that intersection, not least of which a culvert replacement, which has to occur just to the north [of the development],’’ he said at the time.

As part of the development work, the Taitarakihi Creek box culvert was yet to be installed, he said.

However, Caygill said there was no escaping growth in that part of Timaru.