Response to letterbox drop: 'Nexus should adjust program'

"I HAVE just received a letter drop from Nexus – as I assume everyone north of the city has."

I HAVE just received a letter drop from Nexus - as I assume everyone north of the city has - imploring me/us to "merge like a zip" during single lane operations, which will "involve lane closures during peak traffic periods" starting May 4 and lasting four weeks (weather and construction conditions permitting).  

We are also being urged to allow and extra 15 minutes on our journeys during this period.   Now here's a thought Nexus.   

If we are expected to allow extra time for our rush hour journey, how about you also make a tiny sacrifice and adjust your work program too?   

Why not program a lane closure for in-bound traffic to start after the morning rush hour and out-bound lane closures opened before the evening rush hour?   

This would minimise delays and driver frustration and I suspect would affect your schedules by no more than 25 per cent tops, which in turn would mean the whole operation would take five weeks instead of four.   

We all know there's going to be inconvenience, but as a regular on that route I don't see the construction program making too many - if any - concessions to local conditions.  

So how about it? Later start and earlier finish for lane closures to avoid rush hour congestion could well raise your standing with the northern commuters as well as being much safer for drivers and construction workers alike.   

TONY LAKE, Meringandan West

Originally published as Response to letterbox drop: 'Nexus should adjust program'