Tenders open for Tinwald corridor upgrade
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Tenders are open for the Tinwald corridor upgrade which will take 12 months to complete once it starts later this year.
But there are already concerns about the disruption it will cause.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is calling for tenders to construct the State Highway 1 improvements through Tinwald that includes an upgraded intersection and traffic lights at the SH1/Lagmhor Rd/Agnes St intersection and adjacent streets, a new rail level crossing and improved pedestrian and cycling facilities.
It is a similar joint Waka Kotahi and Kiwi Rail project to the upgrade at Walnut Ave intersections that was completed in November last year.
That project, which took 18 months to complete, sparked the ire of the community over how long it took.
With construction in Tinwald expected to begin soon after mid- 2023 and take about a year to complete, with the time frame to be finalised in the tender, councillor Richard Wilson raised concerns about the disruption of another “12 months of road cones”.
“At the moment it’s bad enough [with traffic] stopping halfway to Hinds, this could mean we don’t get out of Hinds, so I’m concerned how this upgrade is going to disrupt us,” Wilson said.
There have been previous assurances from Waka Kotahi and KiwiRail that they would work more closely together for this project and that the communication around timings would be much clearer.
Waka Kotahi will be meeting with the council soon to present the final design.
“The meeting isn’t for council endorsement or consultation, instead it is for information, and presents an opportunity to explain the final design and answer questions,” chief executive Hamish Riach said.
The consultation with stakeholders and the community occurred back in 2021 and “there has been ongoing engagement with residents and businesses during the design”.
“During consultation, there were several opposing thoughts and ideas, however, we believe they have followed a reasonable process in consulting with many stakeholders, although it is fair to acknowledge it has taken a long time to get to this point.”
Waka Kotahi's director of regional relationships, James Caygill, said the improvements will make getting on and off SH1 easier at peak times.
Discussing it earlier this week, the district councillors said the best solution to improve traffic flow will be the proposed second bridge.
“Living on that side of town I feel the pain,” councillor Laan Braam said.
“The best option to me to fix it is the second bridge, and the sooner the better.”
Ashburton mayor Neil Brown and Riach are off to Wellington next week to meet with government ministers to further push the case for funding the second bridge.
Here's Friday's Fizzler!
I can be written, I can be spoken, I can be exposed, I can be broken. What am I?
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Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
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48.3% Yes
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49.8% No
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2% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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