The work has raised the road through the park at one place, where it crosses a stopbank, and has yet to raise it in another section. Instead of pulling apart a garden atop a stretch of stopbank, a concrete wall has been built on it to raise its height.
The old stopbanks were built bit by bit, without a design, and had some soft patches. The new ones would provide more consistent protection, Mr Spencer said. They will be higher, uniform in height, and denser.
Material to build them is coming from Matarawa Valley, where the corner of a road is being widened. It's a mixture of earth and clay that compacts to requirements.
Once the work reaches Dublin St bridge, a stretch upstream from Riverland Family Park to Helmore St will be upgraded. There will also be some finishing touches make in the arboretum area downstream.
