Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is asking people for feedback on ways to improve safety and accessibility on St Andrew Street, an access point to the new Dunedin Hospital’s inpatient and outpatient buildings.
St Andrew Street, the start of SH88 which takes traffic to and from Port Chalmers, is also the main east-west link to the Dunedin Central Business District. The new Dunedin Hospital will flank it on either side (see map below) and bring many more people on foot, using bicycles and mobility devices, says Waka Kotahi.
Hence the need to reassess accessibility and safety of this section of SH88, says Waka Kotahi Director of Regional Relationships James Caygill, using a single stage business case for SH88.
The discussion will help identify options to ensure that St Andrew Street is as safe as it can be for people going to and from the new Dunedin Hospital, he says. This could mean a switch of location for a small section of SH88 in the central city, which this business case will investigate in 2023.
“We will be working closely with Dunedin City Council and Otago Regional Council, which manages the bus routes, and key stakeholders throughout these discussions and any subsequent changes.
“The project will explore options to increase safety along the existing St Andrew Street route, with more convenient links to the new hospital. When the outpatients building opens around 2025, more people will be walking in this area and crossing St Andrew Street, so we need to ensure that their safety and the hospital’s accessibility has been thought through ahead of then.”
St Andrew Street: a hub of activity
“We know there are already challenges with the start of SH88 on St Andrew Street. It can be difficult for road users, people on bikes and pedestrians to move around safely as they compete for space in a tight road corridor with large trucks going to and from the port.
“On top of this, the Central Fire Station, the Central Police Station and the St John Ambulance Depot are all in this vicinity and use St Andrew Street to respond to callouts.
“We need to plan for the changes coming in this area to keep people safe as the city grows and the hospital is built,” says Mr Caygill.
St Andrew Street, facing east towards the harbour.
St Andrew Street, facing west, towards Cumberland St and the CBD.
“We want to hear from the community to ensure we have canvassed a wide range of ideas. This feedback, along with our research, will provide the foundations to begin working on possible changes to the SH88/St Andrew Street area.”
Feedback opens Labour Weekend Saturday 22 October, and closes on Monday 21 November 2022.
For details: go to the project webpage or email your ideas to SH88StAndrewSt@nzta.govt.nz
SH88 St Andrew Street Dunedin project
Written feedback can be posted to: SH88 St Andrew Street Dunedin Project, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, PO Box 5245, Dunedin 9058.
Options will be shared with the community in early 2023 with a final decision on a preferred option likely to be late 2023.
SH88 St Andrew Street – key facts
- This section of state highway is the main east-west link to and from the Dunedin CBD currently, used by 12,000 vehicles a day.
- It is anticipated that once the hospital’s two buildings are completed, many more pedestrians will be crossing St Andrew Street.
- The new Dunedin Hospital will have two road frontages with St Andrew Street: the northern Outpatients building and southern Inpatients building.
