A new signalised pedestrian crossing will be constructed on SH3 in Ōhaupō
Work is set to kick off on the highly anticipated signalised pedestrian crossing in Ōhaupō in the coming months.
Waipā District Council awarded the contract for the project to Base Civil Ltd at yesterday’s Service Delivery meeting. Work is expected to start in November and will take around three months to complete.
The new crossing will be constructed on State Highway 3 (SH3) outside the Windy Ridge Function Centre and the Ōhaupō Store. It will include pedestrian traffic signals, footpath improvements on both sides of the road and extensions to the kerb on neighbouring Great Burke Street.
Dawn Inglis
Waipā service delivery group manager Dawn Inglis said the construction of the crossing had been a long time coming.
“There’s been a bump or two in the road along the way as we have searched for the right contractor to carry out the works, so I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring Base Civil Ltd on board to deliver this project.”
In addition to the crossing, other improvements include three raised platforms: one on Great Burke Street and two on SH3 to slow vehicle speeds, formalising carparks on Great Burke Street and Great South Road to improve parking, and moving the bus stops closer to the town centre and new crossing.
Inglis said council would be reaching out to businesses and the wider community in Ōhaupō in the coming month to share what to expect while the works are underway.
“We want to make sure everyone is aware of what to expect so they can take this into consideration when planning their daily trips. However, we are working closely with our contractor to minimise any disruption to traffic as much as possible.”
Council recently completed improvements to the footpaths around Ōhaupō School and the pedestrian underpass north of the town including improving the lighting at either side of the underpass, constructing a raised pedestrian platform on West Road, and a new roadside barrier on Great South Road.
“The new crossing and additional safety improvements are the final step in a range of upgrades to the road network in Ōhaupō which will make this area much safer for pedestrians,” Inglis said.
The project is being delivered in partnership with Waka Kotahi.
