Invercargill major roads contract awarded

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has awarded a $5million contract to build a four-leg roundabout to increase safety and reduce crashes at the Elles Road/ State Highway 1 (SH1) intersection in south Invercargill, with work to get underway in early January.

Waka Kotahi Senior Project Manager, Jason Forbes said the contract had been awarded to Fulton Hogan.

Mr Forbes said traffic growth meant the intersection needed upgrading, so it made sense to improve safety at the SH1 and Elles Road intersection and Lake Street access at the same time. 

“The roundabout, that’s largely within the existing SH1 and Elles Road corridors will have a leg dedicated to servicing Lake Street including the industrial site. Crash modelling indicates investing in a roundabout will deliver the best safety outcomes for all road users. It will do this by reducing high risk vehicle movements at road crossing points and lower overall traffic speeds,” he said.

Mr Forbes said the safety of cyclists and pedestrians was a priority, with the proposed design separating cyclists from the roundabout traffic lanes and guiding them safely through the roundabout. It also links to existing separated cycling paths and a new one adjacent to the extension to Lake Street. 

A wetland near the roundabout site currently filters discharges from the existing road network. This wetland will be modified and enhanced as part of this project, with Waka Kotahi working closely with Invercargill City Council, DOC and local iwi to achieve this, Mr Forbes said.

Invercargill City Council Roading Manager, Russell Pearson said his council was very happy with the Waka Kotahi announcement. 

“The roundabout at the SH1/ Elles Road corner will improve the traffic flow to and from Bluff which is excellent news,” he said.

The contractor will move on to the site from early January and will manage work in a way that minimises disruptions to road users. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2022.