Freshly laid tar forces motorists to stop along Auckland's SH1. Video / Rena Richards
Traffic is still crawling at a reduced speed on a troublesome newly laid section of State Highway 1 north of Auckland after tar seal peeled off and stuck to tyres over the weekend.
A motorist who travelled to Whāngarei from Auckland this morning said the tar seal remained wet and people were forced to drive at reduced speed.
“Everyone was going so slow, about 10km per hour. You could just feel how wet the tar seal was. You could hear the stones getting stuck to the tyres coming under the cars. It is quite a long stretch.
“Once you got out of it another 10 kilometres there were still stones coming out of the car.
“I did not see any roadworks happening and nobody was pulled over or had their cars checked.”
Wet tar and stones stick to car tyres as motorists travel north of Auckland on State Highway 1. Photo / NZME
The motorist reported stones and wet tar still embedded in tyres after driving for 40km beyond the troubled section of SH1.
Today, Fulton Hogan said it is completing an asphalt overlay over a portion of the chip-sealed section of the road. The overlay should be completed by December 15, it said.
“As an engineered product, asphalt is a more robust and resilient surface for high-volume highways. Chip seal is very sensitive to weather impacts and traffic within the first week of application, which has significantly contributed to the situation over the weekend. Asphalt is far less susceptible to weather conditions after being laid,” Fulton Hogan said in a statement.
Yesterday, Fulton Hogan apologised to motorists and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the recent resealing work near Frogpool Farm in Dome Valley fell “short of expectations”.
The New Zealand Automobile Association motoring services advisor Allister Wade urged motorists to get their vehicles checked to keep the costs of repair minimum.
“One of the biggest areas of concern when driving on loose chip is windscreen damage. If you notice a chip or crack in your windscreen, it is advised to get it repaired as soon as possible to stop it from spreading.
“Other major areas that can be damaged are tyres and the brake systems on vehicles, so if you hear any abnormal noises or vibrations get it checked out as soon as possible.”
Traffic is moving at 10km/h on a newly laid section of State Highway 1 at Dome Valley. Photo / NZME
Wade said when it came to sticky tar on tyres it was possible to remove it, however, “it is a timely and difficult process”.
“So perhaps seek advice from a local tyre supplier as it would be much easier while the vehicle is on a hoist.”
Wade said he’d also suggest logging a report with the roading contractor as soon as any damage happens so they could be aware of the situation.
“The cost of repairs can vary depending on the type of vehicle and extent of damage, but it is recommended to get your vehicle looked over straight away so you can keep costs of repairs to a minimum.
“Continued driving can risk more damage, for example, if you have stones in your brake callipers these can cause rotor/disc wear, or chips can get larger causing the need to replace a windscreen.”
The company responsible for the resealing work Fulton Hogan issued an apology yesterday.
Waka Kotahi had said the recent resealing work near Frogpool Farm in Dome Valley fell “short of expectations” for work on state highways and would need to be rectified.
Regional Manager Tāmaki Makaurau me Te Tai Tokerau, maintenance and operations, Jacqui Hori-Hoult said the priority now was to manage traffic to ensure it was safe for motorists to travel through before permanent repairs are carried out.
“Severe thunderstorms in the area have meant that the remedial works to replace the chip seal site with asphalt will now take place on Monday. We will be doing what we can to minimise frustration and help people prepare by sharing information about what they can expect in advance of any works.”
Fulton Hogan would complete the repairs after the reseal failed due to the new chip seal surface stripping after heavy rain, exacerbated by warm weather on Saturday, causing the bitumen to bleed and chip seal stick to vehicle tyres, Hori-Hoult said.
Motorists heading south into Auckland on SH1 near Dome Valley ran into a badly sealed section of road. Photo / Supplied
Fulton Hogan chief operating officer for infrastructure Simon Dyne apologised.
“We are working to ensure that we can get in and complete permanent repairs as soon as we are able and will be taking all compensation claims seriously.
“Fulton Hogan will continue with repair work on other sections of the road where some of the loose bitumen chip has been tracked onto adjacent road sections.”
All other planned general maintenance and repairs activities will also be taking place as scheduled, Dyne said.
In the meantime, traffic management will remain in place at the site until the permanent work is completed.
Waka Kotahi encourages anyone who has received damage to their vehicle as a result of this issue to lodge a compensation claim with Fulton Hogan for action. This can be done by emailing NorthlandHighwayCustomer@fultonhogan.com or phoning 09 4700 718.
SH1 WARKWORTH-WELLSFORD - CLOSED TONIGHT Ongoing roadworks require #SH1 be closed for 3 further nights between Warkworth & Wellsford, 8pm to 5am nightly: from TONIGHT, Sun 11 Dec – Tue 13 Dec. Plan ahead for detour via SH16. More: https://t.co/daIpjbv04e ^TP pic.twitter.com/jBX6R7ndt9
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) December 11, 2022
