The West Coast's first permanent traffic lights are now fully operational.
The West Coast’s first permanent traffic lights are now fully operational.
The lights are at two locations in the Upper and Lower Buller Gorge; Iron Bridge and Fern Arch respectively. The signals are part of a $694,000 project to improve road safety on two areas of SH6 through the Buller Gorge that have high crash rates due to the poor visibility of oncoming vehicles.
New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Canterbury-West Coast Regional Highways Manager Colin Knaggs said extensive testing of the traffic lights has been carried out over the last week along with a safety audit earlier this week to ensure they are working as they should.
Mr Knaggs says now that the traffic lights are fully operational they will have little impact on travel times through this section of the Buller Gorge. Vehicle detecting sensors allow the lights to switch to green if there are no vehicles approaching from the other direction. A manual push button system has also been installed on the traffic lights to cater for cyclists. A major effort has been made to minimise the environmental impact of the traffic lights on the surrounding national park, this includes the use of solar energy to power them.
For more information please contact:
Bob Nettleton
Regional Communications Advisor
T DDI 03 951 3005
M 021 954 928
F 03 964 2855
E-mail bob.nettleton@nzta.govt.nz
