MARY SHANAHAN
Napier commuters shouldn't get too excited as contractors finish work on a section of Kennedy Road, a project that has dragged out over four months.
The city council says that once the road marking is done on the newly sealed surface between the Marewa shops and Riverbend Road, the contractors
will move onto their next job - upgrading the Kennedy Road-Riverbend Road intersection.
"Probably it will be seen by the public as the same job," said acting road asset manager Jon Schwass.
Wet weather slowed down the $488,000 reseal of Kennedy Road. Started early in April, it was expected to be wrapped up in 10 weeks but instead has taken four months.
This year had probably been the roading department's worst for rain, Mr Schwass said.
"We bargain on a certain number of wet days per annum but it's probably already been three or four times that."
The rain had also affected the city's biggest roading project - the Prebensen Drive extension which is being built to link Taradale and north Napier.
Because the $9.6-million project was ahead of schedule, however, winter's unusually high rainfall had just put the job back to its original timeline.
Weather permitting, Mr Schwass said the road marking would be finished on Kennedy Road this week.
The contractors would then start straightening up the Riverbend Road intersection. The lane layout would be improved, traffic signals upgraded and new street lights installed.
That work should only take a couple of weeks, Mr Schwass said - "they should be well and truly out of there by mid- August".
