Reed Street Closure During July School Holidays
Published on 06 July 2022
Reed St between Eden St and Derwent / Ouse St is to be closed to through traffic from Monday 11th July until Friday 22nd July to allow for intersection and speed safety works funded by the “Road to Zero” Programme.
This closure is to allow our contractors, Whitestone Contracting, Network Waitaki, Downer NZ Ltd and South Roads to construct new intersection works, street light maintenance, water service line maintenance and trimming of the protected Lime Trees concurrently.
Ribble Street, Dee Street, Usk Street, Torridge Street and Exe Street intersections will have pedestrian improvements with “raised beds” and new road marking intersection controls. The pedestrian crossing on Reed Street between St Patrick’s Basilica and St Joseph’s School will be re constructed as a raised mid-block crossing.
The aim of simultaneous work is to reduce the overall period of travel delays and save significant traffic management costs which would occur if the work were to be conducted separately.
The work is timed for the low traffic demand of the two-week July school holiday period. Residents will still have access made available and a letter drop will advise these specific details. However, the roads will reopen for the weekend in the middle of the holidays.
The side streets between Ribble St and Trent St will be closed to through traffic and turn arounds will be created. The turnarounds and closures will move around during works to respond and minimize any congestion.
The alternative travel route will be via Thames St to Ouse St or to Eden St, with access to businesses and homes on the side streets being accessed via Thames St.
In 2021, a local research report, Let's Get Oamaruving! by Alyssa and Breanna Greaney, found that many parents who lived within 3km of schools chose to drive to school as they felt too unsafe for their children to walk or scooter. 47% indicated if there were safe places to cross the road, then they would encourage their children to go to school by other transport modes. These safety works will help reduce speed at intersections making roads safer to cross.
Overall, Waitaki’s crash statistics are disproportionately high and these works to are to improve crash statistics and reduce death and serious injury.
“It is important we focus on reduction of crashes at our intersections, within the Waitaki District. We have 30 intersections receiving safety upgrades in line with the Road to Zero program, which is aimed to reduce Death and Serious injury on all our roads to 0 by 2050.” Said Network Operations Engineer, Mark Renalson.