The new traffic lights at the Walnut Avenue intersections will be turned on next week.
The Walnut Avenue intersections upgrade will be officially opened on Friday – slightly ahead of schedule.
Work began on the $15 million project in August 2021 and had an 18-month timeline.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency had completed the intersection upgrades and lights installation, both at Walnut Avenue and State Highway 1, and Walnut Avenue and West Street, back in May.
Then KiwiRail had to upgrade the rail crossing between the two intersections which is almost completed.
As there was a gap between the two Government organisations being on site, the project has been maligned in the community for the perceived prolonged timeframe.
The Ashburton District Council aired those frustrations, but both Waka Kotahi and KiwiRail maintained it was always scheduled for completion by the end of 2022.
They have now delivered the project on time and the temporary road cone roundabouts are soon to become just a memory.

• By Jonathan Leask