'Stupid' traffic island causes woe for drivers

'Stupid' traffic island causes woe for drivers

Stop-go workers are diverting cars around a traffic island that's causing outrage in the Wellington suburb of Wainuiomata.

The traffic island was signed off by the Hutt City Council as part of a wider roading plan for a new housing development on Parkway Road.

It will allow for traffic to turn into the development without slowing other cars down.

But it's backfired because the island is effectively sitting in the middle of the left-hand lane.

"Personally I think it's just a bit of a stuff up and now it's a case of getting it right," says Wainuiomata councillor Campbell Barry.

'Stupid' traffic island causes woe for drivers

The traffic island currently takes up half of the left-hand lane (Laura Macdonald / Newshub.)

He says developers John Walsh Ltd submitted a roading plan to the council which including a traffic island, but it also included widening the road so the lanes would be re-marked.

"Anyone logically would've thought that [the island] would've gone in last, once the road had been widened and re-marked."

Parkway Plan Wainuiomata

But the island went in first, meaning it's sitting in the middle of a lane, forcing traffic to swerve into a cycle lane to avoid it.

On Tuesday the developers were using a digger to widen the road before the lanes are re-marked.

Mr Barry says it was quite dangerous when the island was first put in on Friday, because there were only a couple of road cones to warn drivers.

"This has been a 60km/h road for 20 years. You would not expect an island to be plonked in the middle of one of the lanes, so it was quite surprising for a lot of people."

'Stupid' traffic island causes woe for drivers

(Laura Macdonald / Newshub.)

Drivers Newshub spoke to agreed.

"I think it's stupid. If you're coming down here at night time you don't even see it if you're not looking at the road properly; someone could just whack into it," said one driver.

"It's pretty ridiculous to be fair, it's pretty unsafe," said another.

Developers John Walsh and Vincent Brady were on-site on Tuesday but didn't want to speak to Newshub. They reportedly told other media they were just doing what the council told them to do.

"We approved a plan which includes an island so he's correct technically," says Mr Barry.

"I think that anyone with, I guess, a bit of experience in here would know not to put the island in first and that's the issue."

The stop-go will be in place until 4pm on Tuesday, and Mr Barry expects the road to be sorted within the next week.

Newshub.