An artist's impression of a new roundabout at the corner of Wicksteed St and Guyton St to be installed in December.
Work on a revamp of Guyton St will get under way this month.
The work includes the installation of a new roundabout on the intersection of Wicksteed St and Guyton St and raised pedestrian platforms on each block of central Guyton St.
Parking spaces will be re-marked to a consistent size while loading zones will be redesigned as mixed-use spaces so that they can operate as general parking at certain times of the day.
“In this first phase, the focus is on road layout changes to improve safety and reduce confusion for all road users,” Whanganui District Council general manager community property and place Sarah O’Hagan said.
The work is part of the council’s Waka Kotahi-funded Streets for People project.
The work is designed to be semi-permanent and removable.
“So, if aspects of the new streetscape aren’t quite working, or we receive community feedback saying we could make improvements with certain tweaks, we’ll have the ability to make changes over the course of the trial.”
O’Hagan said stakeholders along central Guyton St had been advocating for safety improvements for a long time now.
“There’s actually a lot excitement about the new roundabout which will make that intersection safer and less confusing.”
In early 2024, the council plans to carry out road resurfacing and the installation of new urban design features including seating, improved lighting, community art and new green spaces along Guyton St.
Currently, the Guyton St work is scheduled for December 11 and 12, but this may change based on weather forecasts.
Construction for the project will be carried out overnight to minimise the impact on businesses and road users.