Waka Kotahi regional manager maintenance and operations Rob Campbell. Photo / George Novak
Waka Kotahi regional manager maintenance and operations Rob Campbell. Photo / George Novak
State Highway 2 has had the most potholes of any road in the Bay of Plenty, according to Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency.
Data obtained by the Bay of Plenty Times shows between 2016 and 2020 almost 6250 potholes on the local stretch of SH2 were repaired by WakaKotahi contractors.
The section of road in Katikati recorded the most damage, with 1017 potholes repaired in the last five years.
However, the number of potholes on state highways in the Bay of Plenty has dropped.
In 2016 than 3700 local potholes were repaired. In 2020, this decreased to just over 2900.
Clements regularly drove north and south on SH2 and while he did not think the potholes made the road "very dangerous", hitting them could cause damage, he said.
"They could also cause drivers to swerve."
Almost 6250 potholes were repaired on SH2 between 2016 and 2020. Photo / George Novak
During the same five years, Western Bay of Plenty District Council contractors repaired 38,440 potholes in the Kaimai, Katikati, Maketū, Te Puke and Waihī Beach areas. A total of 5152 potholes were repaired in 2020 compared with 8353 in 2016.
On Tauranga City Council roads, the number of potholes had also dropped.
In 2016, the council reported a total of 727 potholes repaired across Tauranga, Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa. In 2020, that number fell to 493.
The cost of repairs was covered by ongoing contracts with road maintenance providers.
Asked what the cost of such repairs was, Waka Kotahi, Tauranga City Council and Western Bay council each said this information was not available as individual activity costs were not tracked.
Waka Kotahi regional manager maintenance and operations Rob Campbell compared potholes to cavities.
Almost 6250 potholes were repaired on SH2 between 2016 and 2020. Photo / John Borren
"Water does to roads what sugar does to your teeth.
"When water penetrates the road surface through cracks, tyre action and weather can quickly turn these cracks into potholes."
But not all roads were equally susceptible.
Roads with higher traffic volumes, higher numbers of heavy vehicles, and higher rainfall or groundwater were more pothole-prone, he said.
"All of these factors are relevant to SH2, which is one of the busiest roads in the region."
Campbell said detours caused by roadworks could sometimes increase traffic on roads with pre-existing issues and this could also cause potholes to form.
"Despite best efforts, if this does occur, these potholes are temporarily addressed to make the road safe, then programmed for repair."
Potholes were typically patched up in wetter months until permanent repairs could be made in the summer, he said.
A Tauranga-based mechanic, who would not be named, said he'd seen "quite a few" tyre rims damaged by potholes.
"You can sort of see it. There'll be these flat spots along the rim and people will complain and say it's because they drove through a pothole.
"[The damage] depends on how big the pothole is and how hard you hit it."
AA Motoring adviser Cade Wilson said potholes could pop tyres and driving over potholes repeatedly could result in worn-out suspension links or shock absorbers.
"Potholes can be dangerous," Wilson said.
"If a tyre is popped at speed and the vehicle becomes unstable the driver could get a fright and react.
"It can also be dangerous if a driver sees a pothole at the last minute and swerves to avoid it."
A 2020 survey of AA members in the Bay of Plenty found 37 per cent rated the roads in their area as very poor or sub-standard.
The same survey found "Road surface quality (potholes)" to be the greatest road maintenance concern for AA members across the country.
