Year of work ahead
08.09.2007
By Imran Ali
Pothole and storm damage repairs around Whangarei will take at least a year to complete.
The $10 million repairs are initially centred around the worst-hit areas, such as Oakura, Helena Bay, Old Russell Rd and Pipiwai.
Road engineer Mike Batchelor said the priority was to repair roads that were closed to one lane - such as Manganese Rd - or slips that might affect properties.
A new cold patching product being used for pothole repairs required minimal preparation and performed well in wet weather.
Called EZ STREET, it settled more comfortably in wet surfaces.
Potholes were often a sign of larger problems such as seal ageing or insufficient pavement thickness, Mr Batchelor said.
The removal of slip material and trees from roadsides, repairs to small dropouts and culvert cleaning are expected to be finished by the end of next month.
Some minor works that are not economical to do now will be included in future maintenance programmes.
Land Transport New Zealand has contributed more than half the cost of the repairs.
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