Palmerston North City Council to spend $3.2 million fixing roads this summer

Palmerston North City Council will spend $3.2 million resurfacing 30 urban and rural roads this summer.

Expect to see plenty of orange cones around the city this summer as Palmerston North City Council spends more than $3.2 million repairing city streets and rural roads.

More than 30 urban and rural streets in Palmerston North are planned for resurfacing as part of PNCC’s road maintenance schedule.

Transport manager Glen O’Connor said PNCC had increased the road reseal and repair budget by $700,000 in response to community feedback for improved roads during the long-term plan process.

O’Connor said streets had been prioritised on need. All streets on the list would receive pre-seal repair, however, resealing will depend on available funding.

As a result, some streets may have their resealing deferred to next summer, and in some cases, only specific sections rather than the entire street will be resealed.

Resealing involves applying a new layer of material to further waterproof the existing road surface, aimed at extending the lifespan of the road.

O’Connor said residents on streets near resealing works will get a letter in the mailbox from notifying them a few days before work is scheduled to start on their street is scheduled.

“Resealing a road is expensive, so we prioritise this type of work based on network requirements. Each road has an estimated lifespan, and we repair potholes to help the road last until it’s scheduled for a full reseal,” he said.

O’Connor said the city was was built on a combination of soft river soil and moisture-sensitive clay - not ideal foundations for roads as the soil doesn’t drain well.

“Once water gets into a road, it becomes much easier for tyres to pluck out loose seal, which allows more rainwater to get under the surface,” he said.

Road maintenance contractor Fulton Hogan has the contract to carry out the repairs.

The following streets have been scheduled to have some sections resealed: Airport Drive, Ajax Place, Apollo Parade, Beaconsfield St, Botanical Rd (from Liverpool St to Brighton Cres), Briarwood Rd, Cambridge Ave, Camp Rd, Gemini Ave, Harrisons Line, Hendersons Line, Heretaunga St, Hobson Place, James Line, Kairanga Bunnythorpe Rd, Lincoln St, Manchester St, Newbury Line, Ngahere Park Rd, Oxford St, Pegasus Place, Pioneer Highway, Rangiora Ave, Richardsons Line, Sangsters Rd, School Rd, Setters Line West, Stoney Creek Road, Te Awe Awe St, Tweed St, Upper Main St, Vogel St, Wikiriwhi Cres, Wills Cres, Wyndham St, Ashhurst.