Nor'West News: September 03, 2020

6
Thursday September 3 2020
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Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
News
Marshland Rd speed
reduction likely
IT MIGHT soon take
longer to drive one of the
busiest roads in north-west
Christchurch, ending
months of speculation
and completing a suite
of changes for the area’s
roads.
Marshland Rd, from
near Main North Rd/Spencerville
Rd to Prestons Rd,
might soon have a 60km/h
speed limit. The current
speed limit for that stretch
of road is 70km/h.
If approved by the city
council, the plan would
add-to previous changes to
sections of the Marshland
Rd/Main North Rd corridor
where 70km/h and
80km/h limits dropped to
60km/h.
The council adopted
those changes last September,
but the decision to cut
the limit on the road south
of the railway line to Prestons
Rd was deferred.
The local community
boards asked for the deferral
under the weight of
submissions against the
plan, and the need to know
more about possible safety
improvements.
The Papanui-Innes and
Coastal Burwood community
boards recently met
and heard some improvements
would outstrip the
council’s budget.
Traffic engineer Wayne
Anisy told the boards
signals and safety improvements
at the intersections
would “require funding
well-in-excess” of what was
available.
The road would need
to be widened to accommodate
median and side
barriers, which would
come at a significant cost.
Seal widening could costs
“millions,” the boards were
told.
GUIDELINES: Marshland Rd, from near Main
North Rd/Spencerville Rd to Prestons Rd, might
soon have a 60km/h speed limit adding about
90sec to a journey.
Committing to such
improvements would also
create uncertainty as to
when any safety improvements
could be carried out,
Anisy advised.
Minor safety improvements,
such as vegetation
clearing, sight boards and
stop controls had been
carried out at some key
locations.
However, they had not
changed the overall risk
rating of the road, he said
in his report.
There were high-risk
intersections and roadside
hazards and some in the
area, including Ouruhia
School, had concerns about
road safety.
The safe and appropriate
speed assessment of
the road needed to meet
national guidelines is
60km/h, he said.
Keeping the current
speed limit at 70km/h
would “align with the majority
of feedback” received
when the changes were
NOR’WEST NEWS
mooted last year, he said.
Then, there were claims
the change would mean
slower traveling times
and lost productivity, and
increased congestion and
driver frustration.
Council research suggested
travel times might
drop by 90sec at most.
The boards were advised
this should be balanced
against the $5.07 million
social cost of a fatal crash,
or of a serious injury crash
($926,000).
They were also told congestion
was more directly
linked to traffic volume
and congestion at intersections,
and speeds were
much lower than the speed
limit during peak times.
The Christchurch
Northern Corridor
played a part – traffic
on Marshland Rd was
expected to grow 20 per
cent by 2026 on 2015
volumes, compared to
93 per cent without the
corridor.
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