Road repairs may slow Russell ferry access

Holidaymakers and travellers in the Bay of Islands may face delays getting to and from Russell when road repairs start in Opua next month.

Work to repair a dangerous underslip will start on January 7 in Opua's Franklin St, the only vehicle access road to the Opua-Okiato vehicular ferry on to the Russell Peninsula and a strategic link to the popularRussell area coastal holiday playground.

The work is one of a number of repair projects still to be finished in the Far North after heavy flooding and storms hit eastern parts of the district on March 29 this year.

District council road and stormwater manager Richard Green said the council had tried to get the Opua work done before the summer holiday peak but had to wait for funding subsidies to be confirmed.

There was now little option but to get on with the $250,000 job in spite of expected heavy traffic volumes on the ferry access route.

Mr Green said the longer the repair work was left, the more potential there was for further heavy rain to increase slip damage under the road to a point where Franklin St might have to be closed.

The road will be reduced to one lane at times during the four weeks of construction and Mr Green said it would be impossible to avoid delays.

The ferry company has been told of the road repairs and the council says it will work with the vessel's operator to take all possible steps to avoid disruptions to the ferry service.