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Bruce McLaren Rd & Railside Ave, Henderson - Intersection upgrade Bruce McLaren Rd & Railside Ave, Henderson - Intersection upgrade

Consultation status: updated 18 June 2018

Proposal reference: RS1718-UI-28

We are proposing to make upgrades to the intersection of Bruce McLaren Road and Railside Avenue, that will include:

  • Installation of high friction surfacing and a 'SLOW' pavement message marking along the northbound lane on Bruce McLaren Road on approach to the railroad tracks.
  • Tightening of the right hand bend by building out the kerb outside number 3 Bruce McLaren Road.
  • Installation of a new side island on Railside Avenue to clarify the priority of the intersection.
  • Installation of a new pedestrian refuge island, pram crossings, and tactile pavers.
  • Changes to road markings and signage.

Download the consultation drawing for Street Name (PDF 930KB).

Why the changes are needed

The Bruce McLaren Road and Railside Avenue Intersection has been identified as one of the urban intersections for investigation, with a number of accidents reported in recent years.

Crash reports indicate that many of the accidents can be attributed to issues with speed, poor handling, and poor observation. Our observations show that confusion over priority rules at this intersection may magnify existing issues.

This proposal aims to better guide road users through the intersection and to clarify existing priority rules.

Feedback results

The proposal received positive feedback with some concerns raised by respondents. After reviewing this feedback and all other supporting evidence, the proposal will proceed without changes to the next stage of detailed planning.

Specific feedback

  • Request to extend broken yellow lines further south along Railside Avenue. Our assessments suggest that the existing broken yellow lines should allow sufficient room for large trucks to access the southern end of Railside Avenue without interfering with the existing pedestrian refuge island. However, we will continue to monitor the operational performance of this intersection after the improvements are implemented.
  • Requests to remove the proposed side island out front of 152 Railside Avenue. Installation of the proposed side island will help clarify to road users the priority rules at this intersection. As such, we are unable to consider this request at this stage.
  • Concerns that the proposed side island out front of 152 Railside Avenue will obstruct access for large trucks traveling southbound along Railside Avenue. Our modelling indicates that the size and design of the proposed side island should allow sufficient room for large trucks to access the southern end of Railside Avenue.
  • Concern that the proposal will not significantly improve safety. This proposal aims to improve safety by:
    • clarifying priority rules at the intersection of Bruce McLaren Road and Railside Avenue,
    • and by introducing measures aimed at raising driver awareness and reducing vehicle speeds.

In doing so, we expect that the improvements will significantly reduce the risk of accidents at this intersection and create a more hospitable environment for all road users.

  • Concerns that the traffic island proposed for the centre of Bruce McLaren Road could prevent large trucks from turning right into Railside Avenue, stalling traffic and causing queues to develop over the rail line. Modelling has been undertaken to ensure that the design of the proposed island extension on Bruce McLaren Road will allow for large trucks to turn right into Railside Avenue.
  • Concern that the proposal will not address issues with speeding at this location. We recognise that speeding is a concern at this intersection and has been a factor in many of the accidents that have been reported. We believe that the proposed interventions will significantly reduce vehicle speeds and the associated risk of 'loss of control' crashes. These include the addition of high friction surfacing and installation of 'SLOW' road markings, which we expect will raise driver awareness as they approach the intersection and allow them the opportunity to reduce their speed accordingly. The proposed tightening of the bend on Bruce McLaren Road will further force motorists to slow as the road becomes narrower. However, we will continue to monitor the intersection after the improvements are implemented.
  • Suggestion that traffic on Railside Avenue should be given priority over that on Bruce McLaren Road. As the southern end of Bruce McLaren Road is a dead end and is currently controlled by a 'Give Way' sign, priority has been given to traffic on Bruce McLaren Road and the northern approach of Railside Avenue. The proposed side island and road markings will help to clarify the priority at this intersection.

Next steps

We expect to introduce this work between July 2018 and June 2019, subject to further changes in design or funding issues. Contractors will issue notices to all affected residents prior to construction work.