SH1 Elles Road intersection safety improvements

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Project introduction

Work on the roundabout on this modern $5m roundabout started in February 2021 and completed with its formal opening in March 2022. The roundabout is now offering greater safety for all highway users and see fewer people injured in crashes at a major busy intersection on the main highway to Bluff.

  • Estimated project dates

    May 2021–Mar 2022
  • Estimated project cost

    $8 million
  • Project type

    Road improvements
  • Project status

    Completed

Background

Work on the roundabout, the largest in Invercargill, started in February 2021 and was fully completed in March 2022. It offers greater safety for all highway users and is expected to see fewer people injured in crashes at a major intersection on the main highway link to Bluff.

There were several safety issues with the previous intersection, that connected to nearby residential and industrial areas, resulting in it being identified as high-risk due to the number and frequency of crashes.  In the last 10 years, 12 people were injured in crashes at this intersection with three sustaining serious injuries.

Crash modelling showed a roundabout provided the best safety outcomes for all road users. The new roundabout comfortably caters for the large numbers of heavy vehicles using this section of SH1. It also safely separates cyclists from the roundabout traffic and gives them easier access to existing cycling paths on nearby Elles Road.

Lake Street, just south of this intersection provides road access to a large industrial site and is used by several trucks servicing businesses that operate there.  Work on access from the new roundabout to this industrial area could potentially get underway in the coming months.

Project benefits

  • A modern roundabout connecting SH1 Invercargill to Bluff Highway with Elles Road that keeps people safe
  • More efficient movement of traffic, road freight and less congestion at this intersection.
  • Better connections to nearby cycle paths.
  • Increased safety for people at a busy intersection.
  • Lower and safer vehicle speeds.
  • Better journeys for trucks servicing industries in the area including the Tiwai Smelter and South Port in Bluff 
  • Safe designated pedestrian crossing points.
  • The enhancement of a regionally significant nearby wetland near the roundabout and the planting of over 10,000 additional plants.