The works on the Salisbury-Champion Road roundabout upgrade are over, seeing the project finish eight weeks ahead of schedule. Tasman District Council community relations manager Chris Choat said the roundabout is now fully functioning but there will be some minor work continuing “around the sides” with the sea of traffic cones in place for a short time longer.
The $2 million project was able to finish early thanks thanks to a more efficient way of working, which was discovered during the upgrade.
It’s great news for local businesses affected by the major works which have been ongoing since December and have caused much disruption to and from their premises. The customer access slip road for southbound drivers on the Richmond Deviation section of SH6 will now be closed off, and congestion along Salisbury Road should ease once the temporary roundabout at Templemore Drive is removed at the end of next week.
Vaughan Hope, facility manager for Richmond Aquatic Centre, says, “The project has been managed really well, and I was actually growing quite fond of the slip road. But our customers will be happy their direct route into us is now back to normal.”
Raeward Fresh owner, Laura Caldwell, is also pleased with the early completion date. “It’s such great news to us and all who shop here,” she says. “So much so that we are having ‘roundabout special’ deals for the next few weeks to celebrate.”
Concerns over the proximity of the new palm trees to overhead power lines on the main roundabout have been quashed as confirmation comes that the lines will be moved underground as part of the project.
Construction of the new Countdown is ahead of schedule too, which means shoppers could get a peak inside the first-ever four Green Star-rated supermarket in New Zealand as early as June. The supermarket developer contributed more than 40 per cent of the cost of the roundabout upgrade.
Countdown acting general manager property Matt Grainger says, “We’ve enjoyed working closely with Tasman District Council and have appreciated having a collaborative relationship that’s allowed us to stay well ahead of schedule on this project.”