State highways across Te Tai Tokerau Northland have been busy over the past month and there are no signs of stopping heading into summer, with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency already underway in the country’s largest ever road renewal season.
Over the past month, the Northland team has already resealed more than nine lane kilometres of state highway and completed 11,500 square metres of isolated patches of the state highway network, repairing the underlying road structure ahead of resealing later in the season.
The level of maintenance works being planned will mean travellers should expect regular and ongoing disruption across the region, says Jacqui Hori-Hoult, Waka Kotahi Regional Manager, Maintenance & Operations.
“This season’s national renewal programme is one of the most significant that Waka Kotahi has undertaken. Our Northland regional programme includes 133 lane kilometres of chipseal, 15 lane kilometres of resealing and 10 lane kilometres of rehabilitation. Another 27 lane kilometres will be treated for skid resistance. It’s an immense job, and we’re up to it.”
“Because our contractors will be delivering work during the warmer, drier months of the year, it’ll mean some level of disruption across the state highway network throughout summer. However, plans will be in place to complete this work as efficiently and effectively as possible, minimising the overall impact on people using the roads.”
“This will include carrying out pavement and surfacing works during road closures and undertaking other maintenance activities such as drainage, cleaning and line marking at night. At any time during the night there might be more than 100 workers out on our network hard at work fixing our roads.”
Northland has experienced one of the wettest winters this year, which has had an impact on the network, the day to day maintenance of the network is being looked after by nine cyclic crews, accompanied by a traffic management crew who are tasked with repairing potholes, clearing drains, picking up litter and much more.
“Temporary traffic management measures include traffic cones, vehicles that act as a barrier for workers safety and early warning vehicles, alerting road users of workers ahead.
“We want all of our people on the network to go home each night to their loved ones and thank you for your patience and for adhering to the temporary speed limits as we carry out this essential work to keep the state highway network safe, accessible and resilient.”
“Due to the level of activity across the network we recommend road users check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner before starting their journeys” says Ms Hori-Hoult.
Waka Kotahi Journey Planner(external link)
Nationally, Waka Kotahi is planning to reseal or re-build approximately 2450 lane kilometres of the state highway network, equivalent to 10% of the state highway network.
