Road pavement rehabilitation and surfacing works on State Highway 27 (Firth Street) in Matamata will be extended into next week, due to the discovery of a void under the road surface.
The void is located directly next to a high voltage power cable, and liaison with Powerco is essential to ensure the safety of road workers and continuity of power services. Resources from both parties are available on Monday 10 October to investigate the cause of the issue.
While this will be disappointing for local residents, safety is paramount, says Cara Lauder, Waikato System Manager at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
“Our contractor had made good progress on site earlier this week, even with the wet weather that has been affecting the region. Once the void was discovered we have followed the appropriate processes and notified the relevant parties to ensure the safety of road workers and residents.
“On Monday the area around the void will be excavated using high pressure water. Once the root cause of the issue has been identified a plan will be put in place to resolve this. Following this, the remainder of the surfacing work will be completed. We are conscious of the school holiday period, and we will work to have everything back to normal before students return to Matamata College
Over the weekend the existing one-way closure will remain in place, with southbound traffic using SH24 Broadway and Burwood Road. Access to Bedford Rugby Park for the Multicultural Youth Invitational Tournament will be via Tainui Street, please enter from SH24 Broadway.
Waka Kotahi thanks everyone for their patience and understanding.
