Safety improvements for Whangamata Road
Work is set to begin on a section of rural Whangamata Road to improve drainage until more safety measures can be undertaken later this year.
Taupō District Council infrastructure manager Denis Lewis said contractors would be improving drainage along the road side in the worst areas, with work starting Monday. The road currently had a shoulder that was higher than the sealed road which prevented adequate drainage during heavy rain, so this was being modified.
The work was being done in response to requests from the community in Kinloch and surrounds. Residents were concerned with the condition of some sections of the road.
“Our team has investigated areas of the road highlighted to us by the community and have reduced the speed in the area to 80kmh temporarily,” Mr Lewis said.
The reduced speed limit and removal of the raised shoulder would help with drainage. Then later this year contractors would complete rut filling and resealing as part of the annual summer road reseals programme, Mr Lewis said. This would involve work on a 600m section where the road was in poor condition.
“We would appreciate motorists using Whangamata Road slowing down and driving carefully around our contractors while they carry out work,” he said. The initial work was expected to be completed by the end of this month and the rut filling and resealing scheduled for the warmer months.
Mr Lewis said further work would be needed on the road in the future as this preliminary work was a temporary but necessary fix.
“Further reconstruction and widening of the road will be needed in the future but that will need to be considered through the Long-term Plan process. The first step in this process will begin this week through discussions with the Kinloch Representative Group,” he said.