Change is coming to one of Hamilton’s more complicated intersections, as Claudelands East sees much-anticipated safety, road, and traffic light upgrades.
The Claudelands Road/Grey Street intersection, through to the Heaphy Terrace/O’Neill Street/Brooklyn Road intersection, will be closed for construction from next Monday 10 October for about four weeks while these works are underway.
Council’s Public Transport and Urban Mobility Manager, Martin Parkes, is pleased to see the planned upgrades set to begin.
“Hamilton is growing, and our roads keep getting busier, so it’s critical that we keep improving safety, accessibility movements, and connections across key areas of our city for road users of all types,” said Parkes
“We are focussed on creating and maintaining sustainable, safe, and easy ways to get around our city, and the Claudelands East intersection is a busy, important link in our roading network.”
The area has been identified as high safety risk, particularly for people who walk or bike. Despite this, it provides an important link to the wider road, walking and biking networks. The improvements to the Claudelands East intersection will address the concerns of road users, providing facilities so they can more safely travel through the area.
The upgrade works include improving pedestrian and biking facilities, installing traffic calming measures, and adjustments to traffic signals. As part of these safety improvements, a no right turn from Grey Street into Claudelands Road will also be implemented, which will streamline the main flow of traffic turning right into Brooklyn Road.
“We are putting the right transport facilities and services in place so we can continue to meet the demands of our city’s current and future growth – and this includes facilities for people who choose to travel by car, on foot, by bike, or by other active means,” said Parkes.
“Improving safety across key areas of our city will give the people of Hamilton greater choices to be able to all get where we need to go – no matter how you choose to travel.”
While safety upgrades are a critical part of the project, there are other elements to the works which require the intersection to close. These include traffic signal system upgrades (bringing the Claudelands lights onto the same system as the rest of the city), road resurfacing, as well as changes to phasing and signal sequences.
Construction is planned from Monday 10 October until the first week of November. During this time, the intersection will be fully closed to vehicle traffic 24 hours a day, but all footpaths through the area will remain open for pedestrians and people on bikes to use. The Claudelands bridge will also be closed to through traffic but will be open for pedestrians and people on bikes to use. Residents and businesses in the construction and surrounding areas will continue to have property access during these works.
When the Claudelands East intersection upgrades are complete, it will link the cycle and walkway network from the events centre, across Claudelands Bridge, and into the city centre.
This project is joint funded by several areas: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is partly funding the safety improvements, under Council’s low cost, low risk programme of works. Other funding will come from Council’s Biking and Micromobility Programme approved by the Infrastructure Operations Committee in December 2021, and the balance of funding is expected to come from central government’s Climate Emergency Response Fund Transport Choices Package.
For more information on the Claudelands East intersection safety upgrades, visit hamilton.govt.nz/claudelandsupgrades or drop into Council’s Your Neighbourhood event in Civic Square and Garden Place this Saturday 8 October from 1pm-4pm.
For more information on the intersection safety upgrades click here