Signs of progress at 'confusing' roundabout but drivers still caught out

Monday, 31 December 2018

A new roundabout to improve traffic flow at growing retail park confused motorists when it was opened several months ago.

Better signage has helped ease some of the confusion at a roundabout that saw motorists turning the wrong way.

But drivers say despite the improvements the roundabout on the outskirts of Blenheim is too small and 'awkward'.

Signage, road markings and separation islands have been installed at the roundabout constructed to manage higher traffic flows from Kmart's new Blenheim store which is opening in 2019.

Motorists had been turning right before the new roundabout outside Bunnings Warehouse and driving into oncoming traffic.

In its half-finished state several months ago motorists criticised its 'confusing' layout, which encouraged some drivers to veer across lanes.

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Paul Frost says the roundabout was still 'a bit confusing' as 'the signs aren't very clear'.

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Paula O'Donnell says she comes down to Bunnings 'quite often' and found the nearby roundabout to be a little small.

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Traffic cones were placed before the roundabout to help steer motorists in the right direction, but people just drove over them.

Tiger Wenmouth says he finds the roundabout to be 'awkward'.

Robinson Construction owner and property developer Phil Robinson said two months ago that part of the reason people were driving the wrong way around the roundabout was because it hadn't been completed.

A meeting to discuss development options was held and traffic directors were later installed to form proper lanes and help steer motorists around the roundabout.

Robinson said the purpose of the roundabout was to control traffic speeds in the Westwood Development area as it matured.

'The original configuration of road wasn't performing as anticipated with the entrance into Bunnings Warehouse,' Robinson said.

'Adding the entrance into Kmart at the same entry point would have made the problem worse. You would have been doubling the number of traffic at the same point.

'It would have been chaos, so we needed to slow people down. We needed to control the traffic along that stretch so it is safer for all users of the road.'

But resident Paul Frost said despite the added directors, the roundabout was still 'a bit confusing' as 'the signs aren't very clear'.

'Blenheim people love roundabouts, I don't know why,' Frost said. 'I've been here 10 years, and I'm still surprised by how people drive.'

Frost said he had encountered a fair share of near misses at roundabouts during his time in town.

Paula O'Donnell, from Blenheim, said she came down to Bunnings 'quite often' and found the nearby roundabout to be a little small.

'It's quite straight there, you feel like driving straight ahead. The roundabout is also not very high,' O'Donnell said.

'Big SUVs just go straight over the thing in the middle, as it's quite tight. Apart from that, I went the right way through.'

Long-time local Tiger Wenmouth agreed, saying he found the roundabout to be 'awkward'.

'You've got to go half way around to get into here [Bunnings carpark],' he said. 'It's probably too small. It's probably better to cut the corner off down the drive and make it a bit bigger.'

A Blenheim resident, who did not wish to be named, said he came to Bunnings last week and found himself driving the wrong way around the roundabout.

But Dave Greig, who was visiting Blenheim to help out his mum, said the roundabout was 'not confusing at all'.