The temporary Russley Road roundabout that will manage traffic at this busy intersection for the next 15 months.
At 500 metres long, that’s about five rugby fields, this “Mega” sized roundabout is essentially a mixture of traffic lights and Give Ways at the four entrances/exits. Signals on the long straights ensure vehicles on Memorial Ave can merge into the traffic flow.
Cyclists and pedestrians can cross at the traffic signals and follow a safe route through the roundabout island to the signals on the opposite side.
The roundabout created the space needed for the contractors to build the sculpture-featuring over bridge in the centre of the roundabout, as part of the SH1 Russley Road Upgrade. Within the confines of this temporary roundabout, the contractor can construct most of the approaches to the new interchange, the bridge and arches.
Project Manager Chris Collins says with 33 thousand vehicles a day using SH1 and 20 thousand on Memorial Avenue, we have gone the extra mile with our temporary traffic management at the site to ensure motorists don’t have to drive on unsealed surfaces. A lot of effort has also gone into minimising the number of traffic management changes.
The roundabout will operate until about mid-2017. At that stage we will be able to direct traffic via signals under the new bridge, while the rest of the embankments north and south of the temp roundabout are formed Chris said.
When the bridge is finished - Russley Road (SH1) will go over Memorial Avenue on the bridge, with a signalised intersection below, including on and off-ramps to access the airport and Memorial Avenue.
This work is part of the Roads of National SignificanceChristchurch Motorways Project.
It’s early days but it seems drivers are navigating the new layout well.