Several cars in the new cycle lane. PHOTO/SAM TATTERSFIELD

SAM TATTERSFIELD

sam.tattersfield@age.co.nz

The northbound stretch of State Highway 2 between Masterton’s northern roundabout and the pedestrian crossing on the north side of the Waipoua River bridge became one lane on Friday, and the problems are already piling up – literally.

Photographs taken just after 3pm showed queues, as well as many people driving on the new bike lane, to get passed traffic queuing to turn into Te Ore Ore Rd.

At one point, a school bus entered the bike lane.

A cyclist, seemingly a pupil heading home from school, didn’t bother with the new bike lane, sticking to the footpath.

Traffic was still flowing freely through the roundabout, but queues were building up over the bridge during what was only after-school traffic.

The lane change was intended to make the pedestrian crossing on the bridge safer, but a major criticism when the plan was discussed by Masterton District Council in March last year was that the crossing was redundant anyway – the school it was intended to serve closed in 2003.

Mayor Lyn Patterson agreed the crossing wasn’t needed, and the plan to make the stretch of road one lane was called “insane” by Councillor Deborah Davidson.

NZTA delayed the work to allow further discussion with the council.

Council spokeswoman Shanna Crispin said on Firday the council could not immediately comment on the layout change.

NZTA Regional Transport Systems Manager Mark Owen said it took a while for people to get used to new road layouts.

“We ask that everyone drives extra carefully while people get to know this new layout.”

Owen said NZTA would monitor the layout, “to ensure that it delivers the improvements to safety and efficiency that we expect it to”.