Formally opened today, the new roundabout linking Invercargill and the Bluff highway will increase safety and result in fewer crashes, say New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). 

Work on the roundabout, at the Elles Road/ State Highway 1 intersection in Invercargill, began in early 2021 and cost $5 million. 

Invercargill-based MP Dr Liz Craig, representatives of iwi, the Invercargill City Council, the community and contractors and Waka Kotahi were all present.

NZTA Director Regional Relationships James Caygill says the intersection was considered high-risk due to the number and frequency of crashes, including 12 people injured, three of them seriously, over the last 10 years.

“This investment supports our Road to Zero strategy of no deaths or serious injuries on our roads by 2050. It will result in fewer crashes and increased safety for everyone who uses this stretch of road.”

“With a 50-metre central diameter it’s the largest highway roundabout in Invercargill and will provide better connections to nearby cycling and walking paths. Cyclists and pedestrians can move through the roundabout safely, separated from traffic at dedicated safe crossing points.”  

Before the project got underway at the end of 2020. Image: Supplied.

Caygill says traffic modelling showed a roundabout provided the best safety outcomes for all road users, by reducing high risk vehicle movements at road crossing points and lowering overall traffic speeds.

“It will improve road freight journeys, and provide safer connections to communities, in addition to providing greater access for everyone travelling around the district,” he says. 

The roundabout has also been designed to comfortably accommodates the many large trucks using this section of SH1 to service nearby industries and South Port.