T-intersection or a roundabout?
How the new Three Parks subdivision should link to State Highway 6 at the entrance to Wanaka has been opened up for debate by Queenstown Lakes District councillor Callum MacLeod.
Cr MacLeod raised the issue at yesterday's meeting of the Wanaka Community Board, suggesting for safety reasons a T-intersection was not good enough.
He believed a roundabout was a better solution and the board would be ''failing miserably'' if it did not properly protect those using the stretch of road past Mt Iron between Puzzling World and the town entrance.
''I don't want to be standing next to a white cross ...'', Cr MacLeod told the meeting.
He was particularly concerned about the ''hideous'' sun strike motorists heading into town could encounter on the stretch of road where the intersection will be created.
Deputy Mayor Lyal Cocks agreed with Cr MacLeod, suggesting also the 80kmh speed limit in the area be reduced to 50kmh and the roundabout designed accordingly.
He believed the board should raise the matter with the New Zealand Transport Agency as soon as possible.
Heavy machinery has been operating for several weeks creating the main arterial route through the subdivision.
Developer Allan Dippie, of Willowridge Developments Ltd, told the Otago Daily Times yesterday while his company would be responsible for providing and paying for the intersection, the design would be determined by transport agency roading engineers.
''They are the gods of designing intersections so we have to leave it to them, rather than councillors.''
Mr Dippie said while a roundabout was a possible option, engineers would look at traffic counts and sight lines.
''It will all be generated by statistics.
''They'll put into their little computer models all the different variables and it will come out with this amazing solution, and it will be very interesting to see what happens.''
Mr Dippie said a meeting was scheduled with the transport agency before Christmas to discuss the intersection options.
The intersection design for the Ballantyne Rd entrance to the subdivision would need to be agreed with the district council rather than the agency, Mr Dippie said.
