Horizons waiting on NZTA and NZTA waiting on council consent documentation before work resumes on Whanganui's Anzac Parade

Work has ground to a halt on Anzac Pde repairs as Horizons Regional Council waits for information from NZTA and NZTA waits on necessary council consent documentation. Photo / Bevan Conley

While work appears to have ground to a halt on the slip repair work on Anzac Parade Horizons Regional Council says it is waiting for the NZ Transport Agency to front with the information needed to give the work consent.

Contractors began restoring two lanes and a cycleway in late 2017, but several weeks ago work near the city bridge and opposite several businesses stopped.

Horizons consents team leader Jasmine Mitchell said they were waiting for information from NZTA to enable the consent process for the work to be completed.

But NZTA regional transport systems manager Mark Owen said "work is on hold while we wait for necessary council consent documentation before completing the final stages of the project".

Anzac Parade required significant repairs to be made after the riverbank fell away due to floodwaters in 2015.

The repair process was originally supposed to be finished by June 2019, but in April, that date had been pushed back until September.

Owen said NZTA were still working towards completion by then, but that may change based on when they resume work and subject to weather conditions.

"As soon as we receive the necessary council documentation we will be able to resume the work," he said.

"The Transport Agency is working with the council to progress this as quickly as possible."

Nearby businesses such as Red Lion Inn, Al's Autos and Riverside Mowers and Machinery have been affected throughout the process.

A narrowed road meant that traffic was often built-up, with some drivers failing to adhere to speed restrictions and nearby machinery was also very loud.

Another major issue as far as business owners and managers were concerned was a lack of communication coming from NZTA.

In April, Riverside Mowers and Machinery manager Steve Shotter said NZTA had been "hopeless" at communicating with him.

Owner of Al's Autos Al Luoni said at that time that it was too late for NZTA to step up their communication efforts.

In response from NZTA, Owen said all property owners were informed about the job before it began and were given contact numbers in case they had concerns.

Owen said eighty percent of the repairs are complete, with the final stages of the wall to be finished, followed by a final site clean up and pavement reinstatement.

"The proximity of the road to the Whanganui River and adjacent residential properties, as well as the tight constraint of the road environment, have presented complex challenges," he said.

"We have worked hard to overcome [them] and overall, the project has gone well."