Two further key traffic studies are now underway in the Queenstown Lakes District, QLDC utilities manager Mark Kunath said.

The council announced in August that the first of three studies, the Wakatipu Transportation Study, was underway.

"The Wakatipu study, which is being undertaken by GHD Limited, is focusing on issues in the Wakatipu Basin like public transport, state highway 6A, a parking strategy, Frankton Flats and Kelvin Heights routes and longer term location of the state highway and an alternative route into Queenstown via Gorge Road," Mr Kunath said.

The two further studies, as flagged in the council?s transportation and parking study summary document Future Link, involved the Wanaka and Queenstown CBD studies.

"We have commissioned MWH NZ Limited to undertake the studies which will involve undertaking engineering and environmental investigations as well as consultation with landowners and stakeholders in the town and the wider community," Mr Kunath said.

Landowner and stakeholder meetings were scheduled to take place in Queenstown and Wanaka from early November through to the middle of next year.

"Then consultation next year with the wider public will include open days where we can present some of the findings and seek direct feedback from the community," Mr Kunath said.

The Wanaka study would look at the wider network, including the central business district, parking and a greenfields ring road.

Objectives were designed to:

• To improve the urban environment around the CBD and lake front.
• To reduce traffic volumes on Ardmore Street and Lakeside Drive

The Inner Queenstown Transportation Study would look at how traffic moved in and around the Central Business District.

Options for the Queenstown study included:

• Upgraded intersections at Suburb and Dublin Streets.
• Melbourne Street.
• New Link between Melbourne and Henry Streets
• Henry Street
• Upgraded intersection at Henry Street and Gorge Road
• New Link between Gorge Road and Man Street
• Upgraded alignment on Man Street and Thompson Street
• New Link between Thompson Street and Fernhill Roundabout

All three studies would be critical to the future of transportation and parking throughout the district.

"I really encourage people to have their say, because the outcomes may be significant for the communities, including the identification of routes," Mr Kunath said.

Various reports on all studies would be made available on the council website www.qldc.govt.nz as they were completed.

ENDS

For further information please contact Mark Kunath 03 441 0499.

By: Sarah