Work on Marton shared pathway delayed until November to avoid winter weather

A shared pathway will be built on Calico Line in Marton but work has been delayed until after winter.

Construction on Marton’s Calico Line shared path project is set to begin in November.

The update came at the Rangitīkei District Council’s assets and infrastructure committee meeting on May 22.

Council roading transport manager Darryn Black told councillors the work on the Calico Line shared path would be delayed until November to avoid ripping up the road in winter.

The project was first discussed in 2023 after Nga Tawa Diocesan School requested a pathway be built between the school and Marton township to help keep students safe.

The council signed off on the project, costing $300,000, in December 2024.

A report to this month’s meeting said there were several delays during April that contributed to the decision to delay work until November 2025.

Committee chairman Deputy Mayor Dave Wilson said it was wise to delay the project to allow for a thorough assessment of what was required instead of placing a time pressure on the completion.

“It’s just not a practical time of year to be ripping up Calico Line which is one of our main routes into town,” Wilson said.

“It’s not going to be in the middle of winter in what is a fairly major traffic flow - it’s not smart.”

Wilson said “fools rush in” so the council would be content with the delays if it meant a better end result.

Wilson reiterated the “interconnectivity” between the Calico Line shared path and the proposed Nga Tawa Rd shared pathway which would eventually form the Marton Town Loop Active Mobility Pathway.

He believed once the Calico Line section of the pathway was constructed, the council would be in a stronger position to seek funding from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) for Nga Tawa Rd.

“I don’t see Calico Line as being strictly a pathway to facilitate Nga Tawa School; it has that factor to it but it’s a bit broader than that,” Wilson said.

“If we do Calico Line as the first stage, it is natural that we continue to advocate for, as part of our works programme to NZTA, the Nga Tawa Rd.

“This is not just a pathway to Nga Tawa School. There is more in our thinking about how we can get a connectivity up Calico Line and down Nga Tawa Rd to what is a significant part of our community.”

The council would advise the community and its residents on the estimated start and finish dates, but Wilson did not believe it would be a lengthy project.

“That’s quite critical that we keep them up-to-date with projects, particularly with ones that have been delayed,” Wilson said.

“It’s a road, there will be cones and there will be inconvenience to some people from time to time, but we will do our best to mitigate that.”