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Helvetia Road and Princes Street, Pukekohe – Intersection upgrade Helvetia Road and Princes Street, Pukekohe – Intersection upgrade

Proposal status: closed 7 November 2018

Reference number: MIP1718-010

We're proposing changes in your area

We are proposing to upgrade the intersection of Helvetia Road and Princes Street, in Pukekohe, to a roundabout which would include:

  • Construction of a central roundabout island which is mountable along the outer perimeter.
  • Construction of pedestrian refuge islands on all legs, involving changes to pram crossings and installation of tactile pavers.
  • Extension of broken yellow lines on Princes Street and around the intersection.
  • Changes to kerbs, footpaths, road markings, signage, and lighting.
  • Minor tree trimming and tree removal, as shown in the drawing.

Download the proposal drawing for Helvetia Road and Princes Street (PDF 1.5MB)

Why the changes are needed

The proposal aims to improve safety at the intersection of Helvetia Road and Princes Street by reducing vehicle speeds, increasing driver awareness, and providing enhanced pedestrian facilities. We expect that this will address existing crash patterns and would also accommodate increased future traffic demand at this location.

Proposal outcome

This project will proceed without changes to the next stage of detailed planning. Thank you to everyone who submitted feedback. A summary of this feedback and answers to community questions and concerns is below.

Feedback received

  • Request to also install a roundabout at the intersection of Helvetia Road and Victoria Street. We are currently considering improvements to the intersection of Helvetia Road and Victoria Street. As the project is still in the investigation stage, implementation will be subject to design feasibility, prioritisation and funding. We are unable to provide timeframes at this stage.
  • Concern over impacts the proposal will have on noise pollution resulting from trucks using their air brakes to slow on approach. Request to install a 'no air breaking sign' along Helvetia Road for southbound traffic. As this intersection is located within a 50km/h zone as opposed to a higher speed zone, we do not expect that trucks and other vehicles would be required to use their engine brakes.
  • Concern over the ability for large trucks to manoeuvre around the roundabout. During the initial design phase, modelling was undertaken to ensure that vehicles currently utilising this route, including trucks with semi-trailers, will be able to safely and easily manoeuvre around the central island.
  • Concern that the proposal will become an obstacle for emergency services vehicles. As mentioned above, we have undertaken modelling which suggests that larger vehicles will be able to navigate through the roundabout safely. As such, we do not expect the roundabout will pose issues for emergency services vehicles.
  • Request to install new street lights on the corner outside 62 Helvetica road and in the proposed roundabout centre island. The street lighting at the intersection will be upgraded in order to meet current standards.
  • Concern that the proposal will lead to increased traffic congestion, thereby making it difficult for residents to exit their driveways. Our assessments show that the roundabout will improve the operation and efficiency of the intersection, particularly in coming years as the surrounding area grows. We expect that this improvement will also benefit adjacent residents and their ability to exit their driveways.
  • Request to instead signalise the intersection and install light-controlled pedestrian crossings, which are better for pedestrians that have limited vision. Traffic signals would be inefficient at this location given the environment, pedestrian numbers and traffic operation. Traffic lights in this circumstance would likely lead to increased congestion and safety issues resulting from driver frustration. Roundabouts also have reduced crash severity compared with signalised intersections.
  • Query as to whether the pedestrian refuges will be large enough to accommodate individuals in mobility scooters and wheelchairs. All proposed pedestrian refuges have been designed to current standards, and will be able to account for the needs of mobility scooter and wheelchair users.
  • Concern that moving the proposed footpath directly adjacent to existing fences will result in issues with vandalism. The expansion of the footpath is unlikely to change the current behaviour of pedestrians in the area. Footpath widening is required to upgrade the footpath to current standards, benefiting the local community.
  • Request to maintain the tree originally proposed for removal. Unfortunately, it is not possible to retain the tree as the proposal needs to ensure sufficient and safe sight distances between pedestrians and drivers. New vegetation has been proposed, which should help to mitigate removal of the tree.

Next steps

This work will happen between July 2019 and June 2020, but we will let you know if there are further changes or delays.

Our contractors will send notices to affected residents 48-hours prior to construction starting.