Saturday, January 7, 2012

Vic Park Flyover: The Magic Bullet?

flying over the flyover
This Monday - all change!
January 9th. is when the Victoria Park Flyover opens as southbound-only.
All four lanes will take traffic south, while northbound traffic happily breezes through the two available lanes in the new Victoria Park Tunnel beneath (incidentally, the third tunnel lane opens in March).
But there's no opportunity for drivers to change lanes once they're on the flyover...because the central barrier previously separating north- and southbound traffic will still be there, splitting traffic between City and Newmarket/south. This means drivers'll have to think much earlier, about which lane they need to be in for exiting!
Sacrebleu! Est-il possible?
To avoid dangerous lane-swapping in St.Mary's Bay, motorists are advised to choose their correct lane as far back as prior the Harbour Bridge, while still on the North Shore. Frankly, this is practical and safe driving practice that should have been in place years ago!
NZTA's local State Highways Manager Tommy Parker: "It’s proven internationally that drivers don't gain anything by frequent lane-changing. In fact, they slow the entire network down. By getting into the correct lane early, and staying in that lane, they will help make the drive through St Marys Bay a lot safer and smoother for everyone."
Awww, bless ya, Tommy! In an ideal world...but methinx it's a very safe bet we'll see snarl-ups in St.Marys Bay for many moons to come!
[...many thanx to AKT]

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