Improvements at four high-risk intersections as part of safety improvements on SH3 between Waitara and Bell Block have been given the green light with an additional $53 million in funding.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency recently refined roundabout concepts for the intersections at Princess Street, Waitara Road, State Highway 3A/Mountain Road, and De Havilland Drive/Airport Drive to help reduce land, consent and stormwater requirements.

Director of regional relationships Linda Stewart said the agancy undertook this process to speed up construction, after it identified roundabout concepts developed in 2018 would take a number of years to progress due to extensive land and consent requirements.

“We now have approval of the concepts and additional funding required to progress the project, so we will be able to get on and deliver,” she said.

“We know this news will be welcomed by the community. We appreciate everyone’s patience while we have worked through this process and we are delighted to be in a position to accelerate delivery of these much-needed safety improvements.”

The refined roundabout concepts will achieve the same safety benefits as the original 2018 concepts and will support residential growth in the area.

Over the coming weeks, the project team will be talking to local landowners and residents, as well as transport interest groups, to refine the concepts further.

The wider community will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the roundabout concepts at drop-in sessions in the coming months.

The NZTA is aiming to begin construction of the first roundabout in the 2021/2022 summer construction season, depending on acquiring property and consents.