SH51/Waipatu Marae Safety Improvement Project

The SH51/Waipatu Marae Safety Improvement Project is complete, and was designed to:

• enhance safety through roading and streetlight improvements
• improve the Waipatu Marae area connections with the city centre by providing shared pathways for pedestrians and cyclists
• improve stormwater management in the road corridor
• underground Unison and Chorus overhead cables to facilitate works.

The sections of road on either side of the main section from Elwood Road to St. Georges Road were added to the original request extending the total project length from Collinge Road to Ruahapia Road.

The footpath between Collinge Road and St. Georges Road was improved to a shared path of 2.25m width. Between Elwood Road and St. Georges Road the footpath was placed adjacent to a new kerbline. In the section from Collinge Road to Elwood Road the separation between the road pavement and footpath was achieved by a berm. The section from St. Georges Road to Ruahapia Road has a shoulder and cycle lane.  The seal widening in this section will facilitate future speed management works and a flush median, enabling safer turning and vehicle separation. For all sections, the footpaths will be provided for the southern side of SH51 only.

Work was scheduled to commence from 15 June 2020, beginning with a 5-week programme undertaken by Unison and Chorus to underground overhead cables between Elwood Road and St Georges Road (ahead of the footpath construction).