Officials will consider high barriers for the first stage of the redeveloped Caversham Valley highway after receiving a petition from nearby residents.
The New Zealand Transport Agency will consider whether a 1.8m-high barrier can be installed using the existing budget, and what it might look like, early in the new year.
Project manager Simon Underwood said the agency would turn its attention to the barriers in February or March, after it focused on the part of the project that is being built first.
Original work showed the special noise-reducing surface chosen for the highway achieved the best results, and that the benefits from installing noise barriers would be less apparent.
However, there was "considerable interest" in such barriers from nearby residents, some Bridge St residents also interested in whether barriers would screen the highway, he said.
That interest spawned a petition, presented to NZTA this month, which urged the agency to consider installing 1.8m-high concrete safety/sound barriers.
At the time, NZTA was considering installing concrete, 1.05m-high roadside crash barriers.
South Rd resident and petition organiser Sarah Campbell-McKenzie yesterday said residents were told wooden tops would give the barriers the extra height residents wanted.
There was also talk of the barriers being screened with foliage, she said.
Residents' preferred option was still a concrete barrier, but it was heartening to see NZTA was listening and reacting to their concerns, Ms Campbell-McKenzie said.
The agency last month allocated $19.5 million to convert the highway between Andersons Bay Rd and Barnes Dr to four lanes.
Heavy earthmoving vehicles were expected on site in late January.
