Roading crews remain focussed this week on filling potholes on the state highway network around Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti.
While the wet weather over the past few weeks, and months, has kept maintenance crews busy dealing with surface flooding, slips, fallen trees, debris and road closures, repairing potholes has continued to be a priority.
Waka Kotahi Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations, Jaclyn Hankin, says the persistent problems with potholes have been made worse in recent weeks.
“Water is the main contributing factor creating potholes, so we would expect to see more appear during periods of heavy rainfall like we’ve had in the past fortnight.
“Unfortunately it is also not a surprise to see some of the newly-repaired potholes reopening soon after repair, such as on SH2 between Gisborne and Napier, with the sheer amount of water pressure the road is under.
“It is absolutely essential potholes are repaired and filled as quickly as possible, for the safety of all road users.
“In the weeks since the most recent destructive rainfall, we have had crews out daily working to fill those potholes on the state highways on the East Coast, including on State Highway 2 north and south of Gisborne; SH5 Napier-Taupō and SH2 through Central Hawke’s Bay.”
“We will keep our pothole crews out over the coming weeks, including part of this long Matariki weekend, specifically focused on repairing those holes during winter, until longer-term remedial work can begin again in the warmer months. If you’re travelling through the areas our crews are working on, please drive to the conditions and expect possible delays.
“We know there’s a lot still to do and we can’t thank communities and road users enough for their patience, support and understanding.
“While our road crews are out daily working to fill these holes, we’re also encouraging road users to report the damage they see – call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS to report issues,” says Ms Hankin.
