4 April, 2024

More traffic woes expected due to power project

Major traffic disruption on congested Lake Rd and elsewhere is looming due to a Vector electricity-network upgrade starting on the Devonport peninsula this month.
Work in Belmont and Devonport will be done in three stages (see map, page 35) running through until October.
Contractors will be strengthening high-voltage lines connecting a substation at Belmont to Ngataringa Bay.
Traffic safety measures, including some one-way detours and “stop-go” lane diversions, will be required. Footpaths may need to be closed temporarily. Work will be done between 7am and 7pm.
“While we acknowledge the project’s timeline may seem lengthy, this is essential to ensure our network’s reliability and resilience,” Vector told residents in affected areas this month.
Power outages are also needed. Residents have been promised more specific information closer to the dates of work commencing.
Power cuts would be advised at least 10 days in advance, Vector said.
The civil work is expected to begin from 15 April, pending weather and Auckland Transport sign-off. The schedule for this is:
Stage 1 from April to May: Lake Rd at the corners of Alamein Ave and Old Lake Rd and between Allenby Ave and Albert Rd.
Stage 2 from May to June: Lake Rd between Westwell Rd and Egremont St and around the corners of each. Lake Rd from Seabreeze Rd to Allenby Ave and the length of Patuone Ave.
Stage 3 from June to October: Lake Rd from Kawerau Ave to Seabreeze Rd. Roberts Ave near the corner and along the western portion of Plymouth Cres. Owens Rd.
Devonport-Takapuna Local Board members were briefed on the work last week.

Ferry-terminal parking lost during stormwater-pipe fix

Free car-parking in front of the Devonport ferry terminal has been lost from this week until early May while a collapsed stormwater pipeline is replaced.
The bus stop outside the terminal has been temporarily moved to Queens Pde.
Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters has warned of “significant impacts in the area” as the work, expected to cost around $1.2 million, continues in stages until the end of June.
The pipeline crosses Queens Pde and Victoria Rd, where street parking will also be lost later in the project.
Healthy Waters said a section of old pipe in very poor condition was discovered during a scheduled inspection last September.
The road was being dug up to install a new, bigger pipe – replacing the existing 300mm drain with a 525mm version.
Vehicle access at the ferry building has been restricted while the work is being done, but pedestrians are not expected to be impeded.
Private-car drop-offs to the terminal front entrance would be possible but “may be delayed”, Healthy Waters said.
Companies making deliveries to the wharf with smaller vehicles have been asked to consider walking goods in.
As a consequence of the work, three native trees directly above the pipeline in Marine Square, opposite the Esplanade, will be removed. They will be replaced later with natives of a similar size.
The work outline is:
Stage 1 (2 April to 6 May): Car parks in the P180 area in front of the terminal removed. Bus stop 3462 moved to Queens Pde.
Stage 2 (6-20 May): Queens Pde closed from Wynyard St to Victoria Rd. Parking not available here, but reinstated in front of the ferry terminal. Bus stop returns to original location, west of the ferry entrance.
Stage 3: (20 May to end June): Car parks removed on the west side of Victoria Rd by the Esplanade Hotel.