Waves of heavy traffic on rural roads a concern

Large volumes of traffic being diverted to Northland side roads during extreme weather events are causing concern for the roads' ability to withstand sudden, intense high use.

Northland Regional Transport Committee member Howeth Mountain wants roads likely to become vital alternative routes where highways have been knocked out by storms to be monitored, and he wants this to become mandatory by being included in Northland's 30-year Transport Strategy.

A draft report of the strategy was on the agenda at yesterday's NRTC meeting in Whangarei.

"Deviation routes all around the north must be inspected to make sure they can cope if they are needed," he said.

Chair John Bain said pressure was intensifying on these "by-pass" secondary routes because traffic volumes, loads and size of trucks were increasing.

"Some of the bridges certainly can't take the heaviest articulated vehicles - I have seen a dozen heavy trucks banked at one diversion point with not a hope of even getting through the hairpin bends of back roads let alone the bridges," he said.

"Our commerce is very vulnerable because there is always going to be flooding on our flood plains. We just have to be realistic and keep our roads open as much as we can," he said.

Far North District Mayor Wayne Brown said "it's the heavy trucks that are buggering our roads." Heavy traffic was increasing on the region's roads and "we need to be pushing for that to be measured".

Joe Carr, a member for the Far North, said Northland's competitiveness as a tourist destination was totally dependent on the reliability and condition of the roading network.

"In the March 20 floods, we had national media imploring people not to go to Northland, which creates a lasting impression that the region is a risky place to go to."

He said a lot of surfaces on the region's roads did seem to be significantly deteriorating.

New Zealand Transport Agency Auckland/Northland director Steven Town said the bad weather in March had delayed road work.

"Right now, Northland's state highway network is not where we want it to be," he said.

"March is easily one of our most productive months for roadworks but this year it has been disastrous for contractors, pretty much for the whole of Northland."

Mr Carr said the committee had to get its head around "the real detail" of the effect heavy traffic north was having on Northland's roads. Chair Bain said the process had already begun with Northland Regional Council growth and infrastructure manager Vaughan Cooper working closely with the NZTA.

Mr Carr also registered a strong protest about "the erosion of funding" for rural roading which the committee incorporated in a motion to accept a Northland funding uptake report.