Work to seal the new road on SH4 near Upokongaro is set to begin in the coming weeks. Photo / Bevan Conley
Work to seal the new road on SH4 near Upokongaro is set to begin in the coming weeks. Photo / Bevan Conley
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is preparing to lay the first seal of the new section of State Highway 4 near Upokongaro in the coming weeks - six years after a slip reduced the road to one lane.
In social media posts, Waka Kotahi said work on the first roundof sealing would begin "over the next couple of weeks", with line markings to be added further down the line.
The laying of the seal is another step towards fully reopening the road, which has been reduced to one lane under temporary traffic lights since a large portion of it collapsed in a slip during the 2015 floods.
Whanganui district councillor Helen Craig has been a frequent critic of the delays in fixing the road.
"Thank goodness they're getting on with it," Craig said.
"Whilst I'm really pleased they're finally cracking on with it, it did need prodding from myself and the rural community up that way to make that happen."
The issue with the highway has also had measurable detrimental effects on local businesses.
Wayne Keenan, owner of Keenan Concreting Services, said he had lost hundreds of hours in productivity due to his five staff having to slow down and wait on the one-lane road.
Upokongaro concreter Wayne Keenan says the delay in fixing the road has cost his company hundreds of hours in lost productivity. Photo / NZME
"It's been terrible. I run the office and the workshop out there, and we've lost hundreds of hours over those years," Keenan said.
"I'm pleased, but it should've happened earlier."
The first attempt to fix the road began in May 2017 - almost two years after the original slip - when Waka Kotahi attempted to fill the area where the land had been lost.
However, this repair failed when about 3m of that fill slumped back into the river. At the time, Waka Kotahi regional transport systems manager Ross l'Anson said the fill had slumped "due to unforeseen ground conditions".
Waka Kotahi then decided to purchase a nearby property so the road could be rerouted away from the slip entirely. That purchase was finalised in January this year.
Whanganui District councillor Helen Craig has been a frequent critic of Waka Kotahi's work on the road. Photo / NZME
Craig said: "I don't get it, how could you not find a solution that works in six years?
"I think they took their eyes off Whanganui."
Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall said the years of delays had proved a headache for those travelling through the area.
"I've consistently raised it over the last few years, I've had phone calls, I've talked to senior customer managers, and attended public meetings about it," McDouall said.
"Six years of inconvenience for residents is pretty shocking."
But McDouall said while he had been frustrated by the delays, Waka Kotahi had made a commitment to the council to better engage and deliver on works along State Highway 4.
"Eighteen months ago, Waka Kotahi sat down with the council and said they're fully committed to the restoration of the entire road.
"That has been the first time in years there's been such a strong commitment. While it's taken its sweet time, nevertheless I'm looking forward to the end point."
