Today transport minister Simon Bridges turned the sod on a long-awaited roading project in Queenstown along with Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult.
The Eastern Access Road, to be known as Hawthorne Drive, will allow vehicles which don’t need to travel into central Queenstown to bypass the busy BP roundabout at the junction of SH6 and 6A.
The $21.8 million project is being jointly funded by Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Government through the New Zealand Transport Agency for completion at the end of 2017.
“Hawthorne Drive is a vital part of the arterial network for the Frankton Flats area that will provide considerable relief for motorists,” says Bridges
By 2026, traffic modeling data shows the new road will be used by 6000 vehicles a day, and that number will double to 12,000 by 2041,” he says.
Bridges also announced work would begin in early 2017 to build a second lane on the western side of the roundabout heading into Queenstown.
“These two much-needed projects will together reduce congestion and improve access to Queenstown,” says Bridges.
Work is also continuing on the new two-lane Kawarau Falls Bridge which is under construction and due for completion later next year.
