Northland rural road upgrades underway

31 Jan, 2022

Upgrades to numerous unsealed Northland roads are well underway with a substantial amount of work to be completed by the end of June.

Over the next few months, dozens of projects around the region will be undertaken with more than 40 key roads prioritised for upgrades for the benefit of residents in the Far North, Kaipara and Whangarei Districts.

Northland Transportation Alliance (NTA) general manager Calvin Thomas says with nearly 60 percent of Northland roads being unsealed, upgrades will be spread over many years.

“Our teams have prioritised those roads most in need of maintenance and a lot of work is underway with crews all around Northland right now which is pleasing.”

Many high-volume tourist routes and roads renowned for dust over summer are being targeted and NTA is asking that motorists be mindful of the safety of roadside workers.

Due to the increasingly dry conditions it is unlikely that much grader activity will be undertaken.

“There has been a lot of research undertaken the past couple of years around the best ways to maintain and upgrade unsealed roads and it is clear that the use of graders and spreading metal for the sake of it – the salt and pepper approach – is not the answer to better roads.

“We need to keep getting the base structure and shape of our roads right to make them better in the short and long term. Application of a final gravel layer that has improved cohesive, binding properties is the finishing touch to create more durable, well-bound unsealed roads that require less grading.

“The reality is we can only get to 6-8 percent of our unsealed roads annually but by maintaining and upgrading them properly with renewing road surfaces, drainage and culvert work, they will last well for seven to ten years. Over time we will get to all roads in Northland,” says Thomas.

In the Far North 36km of unsealed roads will be improved, including the application of dust suppressant outside up to 160 rural homes, schools and marae.

In Kaipara, 45km of unsealed roads are being worked on, while in Whangarei District up to 25km of unsealed roads are also being improved.

The full list of (planned) Kaipara District Council unsealed roading projects underway before the end of June include: Paparoa Station Road, Porter Road, Pukehuia Road, Mahuta Road, Te Maire Road, Waimatenui Road. In addition, a 9.8km seal extension is currently in progress on Pouto Road.

The Northland Transportation Alliance (NTA) was formed in 2016 and is a partnership between local government and the New Zealand Transport Agency to deliver joined up services for Council-owned roading, and transportation related activities, in Northland.

The group is a collaboration between Kaipara District Council, Whangarei District Council, Far North District Council, Northland Regional Council, with the support of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

In Kaipara alone, 45km of unsealed roads will be worked on over the next six months. PHOTO/SUPPLIED