Ask Phoebe: Second entry for Long Bay Reserve planned

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Q: Traffic congestion at the single lane access to Long Bay Reserve has been bad over the holiday period and apparently, in order to relieve this problem, a new road access from Glenvar Rd to the reserve is to be built in conjunction with the subdivision being developed adjacent to the reserve. The new houses to be built in the subdivision this year means that the problem will be exacerbated by the increased traffic flow and it does seem that the new access road and extra parking will be needed sooner rather than later. Can you clarify the time frame for the completion of the new access road and confirm that additional parking will be available in the reserve? - Richard Barton, Torbay.

A: A council official says a second entry point into Long Bay Regional Park is planned. This second entry point is dependent on works being completed on the subdivision under way to the west of the park and Auckland Council funding for a road across regional park land. No definite start date has been set but funding for design work has been allocated for the 2013-14 financial year.

Additional car parking is planned at Long Bay as part of improving parking and vehicle circulation. Provision will be made for about 400 extra vehicle spaces over the next five to 10 years.

Q: The popular Lovelock athletic track (Wesley, Mt Roskill) was fenced off in December for what appeared to be an upgrade. Drainage work, including a channel around the inside of the athletic track, and reseeding of the grass area, was done during January and February this year. The fencing has been removed and the track is now accessible, but in an unusable condition. The public has been denied use of a popular running, cycling and walking track for the entire summer and autumn. When does Auckland Council intend to complete the upgrade and make the track available for public use? - Patrick Faughey, Mt Albert.

A: An official of the council's local and sports parks says the Lovelock running track at Mt Roskill's War Memorial Park is indeed undergoing some work. Stage one has been completed, but stage two has been held up somewhat by the root systems of the large old poplar trees along the western boundary.

The old track surface has been removed and a drainage channel and track catchpits put in, as well as a sand-carpet athletics and sports field, which is now open for use.

The other work programmed for 2012-13, which include the outer kerb, fence and asphalt track pavement, have been delayed because of problems with tree roots under the track from the large poplar trees on the boundary with Wesley Intermediate School.

Before any work can progress, the tree roots have to be removed and root barricading installed. If this is not done, the new track surface will buckle and crack as the roots grow.

Work of this kind requires resource consent and approval from the school. The council has talked to the school and is awaiting the outcome of the consent application.

Stage two of the project, the synthetic track surfacing and marking, is planned for 2013-14. The synthetic surfacing can be undertaken only in dry/warm weather, so will be done in spring (October).

The track will be completed to its final synthetic surface late this year.