Cambridge roundabout
13 February 2015
Work on the revamp of the temporary roundabout at the intersection of Shakespeare St and State Highway 1 in Cambridge is about to get under way.
The $700,000 project, funded by the NZ Transport Agency and Waipa District Council, will see a safer, longer-term solution at the intersection, which will meet the needs of SH1 users as well as local traffic.
The current roundabout was built as a short-term measure at the old T-intersection to ease traffic congestion while repairs were done last year on the town's high-level local road bridge.
Cambridge locals strongly advocated for it to remain in place, and the work starting next week will see the roundabout upgraded so it can remain in place until the completion of the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway.
The new Cambridge bypass will become SH1 when it opens, with the old route through town becoming a local road under the jurisdiction of the Waipa council and carry far less traffic.
Councils road corridor manager Koos Lelieveld said both the council and Transport Agency had looked at how they could improve the entire intersection, not just the roundabout.
Before we start on the roundabout, we are removing some older poplar trees which are at risk of falling over the footpath and State Highway. It makes sense to do this work as part of the roundabout project while we have contractors in the area. The trees are located along the river edge and the State Highway and will be replanted something more appropriate.
The footpath will be closed during the day for a week while the trees are removed (from 17 - 22 Feb). Pedestrians and other footpath users are required to use Victoria Bridge during this time. As the trees are cut, there will be five minute road closures of the State Highway as a safety precaution.
Work on the roundabout will start from Monday 23 February. The work will be done mainly at night with traffic managed through the site, so short delays can be expected until the job is finished in April.
Our contractors understand it's a busy intersection and will be aiming to keep traffic disruption to a minimum while they carry out the work.
The Transport Agency's regional performance manager, Karen Boyt, said improving the roundabout design so it could remain in place was a good example of parties working together.
We couldn't leave the temporary roundabout as it was - as our priority is the safe and efficient movement of traffic on state highways, she said.
But Waipa residents obviously found the roundabout a huge improvement on the old T-intersection.
This solution is a great example of what can be achieved when we all work together; it is a win-win for everybody.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Stephanie Slattery, Senior Communication Advisor on 027 807 3478