Emergency repairs hamper general road maintenance

The need to focus on continuing urgent road repairs due to ongoing wet weather and storm damage is delaying some routine maintenance on Northland’s council-owned roading networks.

Northland Transportation Alliance General Manager Calvin Thomas says the extent of overarching emergency works across sealed and unsealed roads is extensive and it will likely take several years to fully clear the backlog of substantial repairs needed on roads in Kaipara, Whangārei and Far North Districts.

However, Mr Thomas acknowledges the progress road crews are making with the mammoth task of catching up on routine maintenance and working through initial storm repairs in the lead up to winter.

A report from NTA reveals that roading crews have worked tirelessly to begin working through repairs on 167 Whangārei roads, 104 roads in Kaipara and 179 in the Far North, which includes clearing of around 1000 over slips to ensure roads are open to at least one lane, but Mr Thomas cautions there is plenty more work to do.

“In May alone there was another weather event causing a further substantial increase in reported road damage with 1,166 incidents reported. In total, we currently have more than 2200 open requests and 836 of these were received between February and April due to ongoing storm events which has compounded the damage already done the Northland roading network.

“So, these are unprecedented times. There is extreme pressure and heavy workloads for our crews on our roading network but, considering the scale of the damage they are progressing well in efforts to get on top of things.

“It’s also important that locals don’t assume we are aware of all roading damage because while we have a substantial log of repairs needed, the ongoing wet weather means new damage through under slips and potholes can occur quickly. That is why we need people to phone their local councils and report new issues, particularly if a site appears to have changed or got worse.

“Roads have been given a priority rating for repairs that takes into account factors including usage and repair complexity which was then validated by staff who knew the network, to inform the planning and timing of required works for the rest of June and over the coming years,” says Mr Thomas.

“In normal years we complete repairs on 10-15 significant under slip sites, however the compounding storm events have resulted in over 300 of these new sites to be repaired which is not a simple or quick exercise.”

WDC Chief Executive Simon Weston says the challenge to repair Northland’s roads will continue for some time due to funding constraints, resourcing and supply chain demands, plus ongoing damage to roads due to the compounding effects of storm damage.

He says WDC, FNDC and KDC believe the estimated local road repair cost of the combined events over the past 12 months is approaching $100 million and he reiterates the recent statements of Northland Mayoral Forum chairman Vince Cocurullo that more funding needs to come from Central Government to ensure Northland has a more resilient transport network.

“This level of funding is critical to Northlanders having a resilient and safe roading network,” says Mr Weston.

In addition to the storm damage repairs, it is estimated that a further $107.5m is required to upgrade the Kaipara and Whangārei roads used as diversions around the Brynderwyn Hills - $49.5m for Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd and $58.5m for Kaiwaka Mangawhai / Cove Rd. Meanwhile, over $36m is needed to repair just 116 of 1126 historic road slips across Northland and a further $25m to fully restore roadside drainage assets across approximately 3600km of unsealed network.

“We appreciate the tolerance and understanding of the Northland community through this challenging period while our teams continue to work hard to restore our networks,” says Mr Weston.

“Our priorities over the coming months include restoring and maintaining safe and reliable connections, continuing to repair existing storm damage including post event clean up, and preparing for undertaking of a substantial repair and construction programme over the next dry summer period.”

Caption: Northland Transportation Alliance General Manager Calvin Thomas observing storm repairs at Whangārei Heads.