Upper Clutha Safety Improvements Programme

Work to construct a new roundabout and pedestrian refuge crossing at the intersection of Capell Avenue and Domain Road in Hāwea is now complete.

We’d like to share a big thank you to everyone in the Hāwea community for your patience while we’ve worked to complete the new roundabout and pedestrian refuge island upgrade here.

Work is progressing to construct a roundabout at the intersection of Ballantyne Road and Riverbank Road in Wānaka, to provide a safer environment for all road users in the area.

The project will also enhance connectivity for active travel travel along a section of Ballantyne Road through to Wastebusters, including raised pedestrian safety tables leading into the roundabout and upgrades to stormwater management.

What’s the latest?

Monday 22 April 2024:

So far, we’ve completed enabling works to widen the intersection and earthworks along the Riverbank Road entry point. And most recently, crews have laid new kerb and channel on the southern end of the intersection, a base for the new road surface there, and they’ve built a retaining wall near the electricity substation that they plan to plant alongside in spring.

As work shifts around the site to other parts of the intersection, we’ll need to make some changes to road closures and layouts in the coming weeks.

Future road closures:

From Monday 29 April through to Friday 10 May 2024, both sections of Riverbank Road will be closed to through traffic at the intersection with Ballantyne Road.

During this time, resident access to the northern section of Riverbank Road will be from the now complete Mt Iron Roundabout, and access to the southern section of Riverbank Road will remain from Orchard Road.

>> Click here to enlarge the map of road closures from Monday 29 April.

We expect to open Riverbank Road south to the intersection with Ballantyne Road from Friday 10 May, but the northern section of Riverbank Road will remain closed to through traffic until Friday 7 June.

>> Click here to enlarge the map of road closures from Friday 10 May.

Pedestrian access:

Pedestrian access is currently available along Ballantyne Road through the worksite.

Temporary pedestrian access will be provided from the northern section of Riverbank Road onto Ballantyne Road from Monday 29 April.

We also plan to provide temporary pedestrian access from the southern section of Riverbank Road onto Ballantyne Road from Wednesday 1 May, once heavy machinery has stopped operating in this area.

Construction timeline:

Crews working on the new roundabout will pause for the winter sealing season in early June 2024, and all parts of the Ballantyne Road and Riverbank Road intersection will be opened to through traffic.

We expect work on the new roundabout to restart in early August, with the intersection to be fully operational in late October.

When this work resumes, traffic management and road closures are likely between mid-August to October. We’ll share more details on the project closer to the time.

Golf Course Road roundabout:

We’ve created a temporary roundabout at the intersection of Ballantyne Road and Golf Course Road to help improve traffic flow in the area.

It will remain in place until the completion of the Ballantyne Road and Riverbank Road roundabout.

Design options for a permanent roundabout at this intersection are under review.

Work to construct a roundabout at the intersection of Aubrey Road and Anderson Road was completed on Thursday 8 November 2023.

The new roundabout includes a slightly amended road layout, new raised courtesy crossings to provide safe spaces for people walking to cross, and a connection for the soon-to-be-completed shared pathway on Anderson Road.

Work is underway to install over 9,000 metres of new safety barriers on Wānaka-Mount Aspiring Road and Cardrona Valley Road, with additional signage, minor earthworks and roadside improvements, road markings, and a range of landscaping and native planting included in the project.

Find out more here.