A million dollar upgrade of the infamous intersection of State Highway 1 and Alabama Road – better known as Butter Factory Corner – has been completed in time to help people travel safely during the busy holiday season and beyond.
The NZ Transport Agency today joined with Kaikoura MP Colin King, Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman, Regional Transport Committee Chair Terry Sloan and others involved in the project to mark the completion of the eagerly anticipated intersection upgrade.
Transport Agency Marlborough Roads manager Frank Porter says he is thrilled that the project has been completed well before Christmas, ahead of target.
“This corner’s difficulty was so well known it had become local folklore. Now we have a far safer intersection with a modern engineering solution that balances the multiple tasks this busy intersection has to deliver.
“We want families, tourists and truckies to be safe this summer and for years to come, and we had our sights set on finishing these safety improvements before Christmas. The team deserve a huge pat on the back for delivering on this.”
Mr Porter recognised that there were some problems with the first seal, but expected that these would be straightforward to resolve. “It’s something that happens from time to time. It's a bit frustrating, but it's standard practice to lay down a second and final coat of seal at a later date, so we could potentially bring that forward.”
“What’s important is that if you travel through this intersection today, your chance of being involved in a crash has dropped dramatically.”
Colin King, MP for Kaikoura, welcomed the upgrade.
“The Butter Factory Corner development is a well-executed project which addresses multiple issues of safety in a complete and professional way. This is particularly important in a residential area and it is now safer for local children to travel to and from school.
“My thanks are extended to the teams at Marlborough Roads, Fulton Hogan, Aurecon and NZ Transport Agency for the many hours of hard work required to complete this project to deadline.
The project was managed by Aurecon and delivered by Fulton Hogan on behalf of the NZ Transport Agency's Marlborough Roads office.
