Nearly 50 submissions were received on a Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency proposal to close the Mutton Town Road/ Clyde-Alexandra Road (SH8) intersection.
A Central Otago District Council plan change enabling more development on surrounding land, and challenges around upgrading this state highway intersection are behind the proposed closure.
“We’re pleased so many people made the effort to provide their views on this proposal,” says Waka Kotahi Senior Safety Engineer Lisa Clifford. “About one third of people supported closing the intersection. Many of those people also wanted us to consider a left in option off the state highway.
“The remainder of people – about two-thirds – were against closing the intersection but of those people many also supported the left-in only option if they had to choose.”
Just one submitter wanted a left-in and left-out option.
Map of Mutton Town Road/Clyde-Alexandra Road (SH8) intersection.
“Safety is the main reason for this proposal to permanently close an intersection,” she says. “There’s been one fatal and two non-injury crashes in the last five years. There have also been numerous reports of ‘near misses’ over this period. The crash risk will increase as traffic volumes rise at this intersection generated by nearby major land development, and growth in the wider Alexandra-Clyde area.”
Lisa Clifford says while some submitters didn’t want any changes, many acknowledged there are safety issues at this intersection that needed addressing. Several felt a left turn from the highway into Mutton Town Road would improve safety and would be preferable to a full closure.
The cost involved in upgrading this intersection is hard to justify with a safer alternative at the nearby Clyde-Alexandra Road (SH8)/Sunderland Street intersection, she says. Safety improvements at that intersection have been designed to manage extra traffic generated from planned future nearby land developments.
A decision on a full closure and possible alternatives is expected in the next four to six weeks once all submissions have been carefully considered.
Mutton Town Road intersection with SH8 the Clyde-Alexandra Road.
