More than just maintenance

MORE THAN JUST M AINTENANCE

Chip Sealing at Waipoua Forest, 2019

Jacqui Hori-Hoult: Waka Kotahi Regional Manager Maintenance and Operations Te Tai Tokerau me Tāmaki Makarau.

When the weather warms up there are a few things you’re guaranteed to see in Northland. The iconic orchids in bloom along State Highway 12, an influx of visitors, and more road workers.

The latter, because every year Waka Kotahi embarks on a summer maintenance programme which in 2021/22 will see 161 lane kilometres repaired and re-sealed.

But it’s much more than just ensuring the roads are safe and smooth to drive on.

Earlier this month we released details of the 2021-24 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP). The $751m investment in Northland is great and will touch the lives of everyone who lives here especially because almost half of that money will be spent on maintenance for local roads and state highways.

We’ve listened to your concerns about the resilience and reliability of our network and with the Government’s additional $2b top up to the NLTP we can now take tangible steps alongside our local government partners, to improve these areas.

On a finite budget maintaining state highways in Northland can be challenging. There are a number of factors which have an effect on pavement condition, including the underlying geological make-up of the area.

While all roads suffer fatigue and damage over time, Northland’s topography is built on a substratum of clay where they have evolved from the bullock tracks built years ago. Our region is vulnerable to slips and extreme weather events especially with the effects of climate change in recent years.

That’s why it’s so vital that over the next three years $344m will be available to help maintain local roads and state highways, so they can stand up to such events and ensure communities can bounce back quicker when Mother Nature strikes.

Northland began 2020 in drought which made our roads contract and become vulnerable to surface damage. In July, the region was hit by a 1-in-500-year weather event which caused extensive flooding and damage to road surfaces, with SH1, 12, 14, and 15 affected. 2021 has seen more of the same, and once again our country has been impacted by COVID-19 which has an effect on programme delivery, with supply chains interrupted and work disrupted.

Maintenance is one of those words which doesn’t conjure up particularly exciting connotations. But in the transport space it’s the holy grail. Alongside our project work, our team are on the network 24-7 and are the ones who brave the rough weather to clear roads or clean up after a crash. They deal with all matter of hazards, often in a live traffic environment, and keep us safe on the roads - it’s important we do the same for them. Make sure to pass them with care, because they will be across the whole network in the coming months.

Waka Kotahi maintains 978kms of state highway north of the Johnstones Hill Tunnels to Te Reinga Wairua (Cape Reinga) in SH1, SH10, SH11, SH12, SH14, SH15, SH15A and SH16.

While SH1 is the transport lifeline connecting Northland to the rest of the country and the focus of much of Waka Kotahi’s maintenance activity, we know that keeping other corridors up to standard is just as important for tying our towns and cities together.

Kirikopuni on State Highway 14 west of Maungatapere will be the first to see work done this summer. Crews will be carrying out road rehabilitation – where the road is dug up, repaired and re-laid as new, followed by similar work in Tangiteroria later in the year.

Our pre-Christmas asphalting programme will include work at Puhoi, Te Hana, Kaiwaka, Whangarei, Ōhaeawai and Kaitaia. Work in these areas will be done at night to minimise travel disruption.

But that’s only the beginning; we’ll also be trimming trees, unblocking drains, clearing roadside rubbish, upgrading signage and guard rails, and repainting markings - all of which are an important part of our maintenance programme.

Our crews travel the length and breadth of Northland carrying out these activities, and while it takes place all year round –in summer there’s more people on the roads and more work to be done. It means more daylight hours, better visibility for our crews and (hopefully) warmer, drier weather to help new road surfaces set properly.

So, when you see one of our crew, give them a smile and a wave. We may at times ask you to be patient or reduce your speed, but it’s only so we can keep our workers safe and improve your journey in the long run.

All of this investment and work recognises the crucial contribution Northland makes to the country’s economy and ensures it will receive the investment it needs as part of our national land transport system. It’s a journey we can all look forward to making together.

Asphalting of State Highway 14 at Maunu, April/May 2021

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