Dowse interchange receiving its finishing touches
With the Dowse interchange receiving its finishing touches local areas are already breathing easier. Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce chairperson David Kiddey says changing the ?confined situation? with roads has already shown an improvement in traffic flows into the Lower Hutt CBD and Petone. ?When the Council has completed the modelling they have done for the CBD there will be a huge benefit. ?The flows are good going into High Street, and it is clearly of value to Jackson Street and Hutt Road,? says Mr Kiddey. He says businesses in the Petone area will benefit in general and a next step for the area is the provision of parking. ?Parking in the area might be work a second look,? he says. Mr Kiddey says the area is well sign posted and, ?It seems there are issue with parking now, a lot of people that come to Petone for dining and Cafes are finding it difficult?. ?Parking has to be within reach,? he says. Hutt City Council Visitor development manager David Hancock says the whole area will benefit from the Dowse development, which has eased congestion and allowed for a more attractive entrance way to Lower Hutt. ?It?s great, it?s much easier to follow the road with no tight corners, that?s got to be fantastic for negotiating a place you don?t know,? he says. For visitors who are not familiar with an area having clear road layouts helps tremendously, he says. ?There are parts like the new access way to Percy Reserve that are great for attracting visitors.? Providing clear signage is another area where Lower Hutt accommodates visitors well. Mr Hancock says local signage pointing out the visitor i-site is the envy of Wellington City. ?We have had visitors turn up in Lower Hutt who couldn?t find the Wellington i-site and ended up at the Hutt City one,? says Mr Hancock. Parking is not a major issue for Petone, as the free parking works well and there is ample room for finding a space, he says.
