Residents of Ross Ln in Grovetown agree with the Marlborough District Council's decision to close direct access to the quiet lane from State Highway 1, saying the intersection is too dangerous.
Resident Ian Ruffell, whose step-son, Steven Evans was left a tetraplegic after the car he was in was hit by a freight train on the Ross Ln railway level crossing in September 2008, said the intersection had to go.
"It's too dangerous even coming from Picton [where it is not necessary to cross the centre line to enter Ross Ln], because of the volume of traffic", he said.
"There's going to be another smash one of these days."
Mr Evans' mother, Sheryl Ruffell, said the small changes to the intersection after the accident were good, but closing the State Highway 6 entrance was better.
Mrs Ruffell and her son moved to Blenheim after the accident, but were planning to build a wheelchair friendly house in Ross Ln.
During a long-term planning meeting on Friday, Marlborough district councillors agreed on a proposal to close the entry to Ross Ln from State Highway 1 and extend Knights Ln to connect with Aberharts Rd.
The proposal will still need to gain the necessary consents and is subject to available funding, and no details have been finalised.
Mr Ruffell said the only option was to close the intersection, and even a smooth gravel road which connected with Aberharts Rd would make access safer for residents of Ross and Knights lanes.
Bill and Glenda van Zoomeren, who have lived in Ross Ln for about four years, said drivers had poor visibility at the intersection and trains were an extra hazard.
In their time living in the lane, the couple have seen two major car accidents, including the one involving Mr Evans, and another in which a car was pushed onto the railway tracks after a collision with another car.
A neighbourhood group was set up after the September 2008 crash and met district councillor Francis Maher and Marlborough Roads manager Frank Porter to discuss the future of the intersection.
At the time, Mr Porter said the district council and the New Zealand Transport Agency would look at opening the lanes into Aberharts Rd, about 700 metres south towards Blenheim. He could not give a timeframe and said the project could cost up to $1 million.
However, resident Catherine Kydd, who has lived in the lane for about nine years, said drivers deserved more blame for accidents than the intersection itself.
Drivers needed to be more aware and not try to beat traffic, she said. Many drivers waited on the rail crossing to turn onto State Highway 1 instead of behind the crossing as they were meant to, she said. Extending Knights Ln would be just as dangerous, because cars needed to pull out past the Give Way markings on Aberharts Rd to see onto the highway. Barrier arms and repainting the road would make it safer.
- The Marlborough Express
SIMON WONG
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