Monthly Archives: June 2021

SH30 Rotorua works for week beginning Sun 13 June

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Delays are expected at times and motorists are advised to plan for these delays and allow extra time for their journeys.

Work sites for the week starting Sunday 13 June:

  • State Highway 30, Puarenga Bridge underpass – The Puarenga Bridge underpass is planned to be open by mid-late June.
  • State Highway 30, access to Puarenga Stream path – Works are underway on the shared path connecting the southern side of SH30/ Te Ngae Road shared path to the Puarenga Stream path. Access through this section will be narrowed substantially from 6am Tuesday 15 June until 6pm on Wednesday 16 June to allow for concrete placing and curing.
  • State Highway 30, median, east of Puarenga Bridge – Contractors are working in the median east of the Puarenga Bridge as they construct the turning bay opposite Hume Pine and the connection to the bridge median. Lane closures may be in place during off-peak times.
  • State Highway 30, Sala Street to Vaughan Road – The shared path on the northern side remains closed for public safety due to substantial delays in upgrading of services along this section. Shoulder/ lane closures may be in place during off-peak times as contractors work on kerb, channel and shared path through this section.
  • State Highway 30, Vaughan Road – The Vaughan Road entrance slip lane from SH30/ Te Ngae Road will be closed on Monday 14 June and re-opened at 6:30am on Wednesday 16 June. This will allow contractors to pour and cure concrete at the slip lane. Additional lane closures on SH30/ Te Ngae Road may be required as part of these works.
  • State Highway 30, Ngapuna shops to Marino Road – Contractors are working along the northern side of SH30/ Te Ngae Road preparing driveways and the shared path for concrete pouring. Lane closures may be in place during off-peak times.
  • State Highway 30, Tarawera roundabout – The last temporary roundabout remains in place as contractors complete the remaining sections of road and cabling for the traffic lights before the signalised intersection is installed later this month. Lane closures may be required during off-peak times.
  • State Highway 30, Tarawera Road – Contractors continue installing the new watermain along the footpath. Traffic management will be in place and may include off-peak Stop/ Go operations. The footpath will remain open.
  • State Highway 30, Allen Mills Road to Iles Road – Contractors will be laying the final layer of surfacing on the two eastbound lanes through this section on Thursday 17 June and Friday 18 June, weather dependent. Lane closures will be in place as part of these works. Pedestrian access through this section is for business access and residents only as there is no through access to Rotorua CBD. See below map for pedestrian access routes. 

Temporary speed limits of 30km/h or 50km/h are in place at the above work sites, including when workers are off-site.

Pedestrians and cyclists are encouraged to use the signalised crossings at either Sala Street or Iles Road, and the temporary pedestrian crossing at Tarawera Road.

In the event of bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances, work may be postponed.

Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience.

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Further improvements underway on the Forgotten World Highway

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Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Director of Regional Relationships Linda Stewart says the project is part of a $23m package of improvements funded through the regional allocation of the NZ Upgrade Programme and the Provincial Growth Fund.

“Waka Kotahi has been working closely with its iwi partners and Stratford District Council to progress improvements for the iconic highway and was fortunate to have local iwi undertake a blessing at the Manawawiri Stream site ahead of construction recently.

“We are grateful for the invaluable input, guidance and support we are receiving from mana whenua as we progress projects across the Forgotten World Highway. We look forward to strengthening our partnerships as we continue to work together in coming years,” says Ms Stewart.

Ngāti Maru General Manager Anaru Marshall says Ngāti Maru is pleased with the increased development being carried out by Waka Kotahi on state Highway 43 between Stratford and Taumarunui.

“It’s an important, but often overlooked, thoroughfare into Taranaki and more and more people are using it and enjoying its uniqueness. Ensuring that those people are safe and secure as they travel through our rohe is paramount to us as mana whenua,” says Mr Marshall.

Stratford District Council Mayor Neil Volzke is also happy to see work on the highway progressing.

“This project is part of a larger package that will significantly improve the safety and driver experience along the SH43 route. We’re excited to see this work begin,” says Mayor Volzke.

The new bridge over Manawawiri Stream is expected to take six months to complete.

Towards the end of the month a temporary one-lane Bailey bridge will be installed alongside the existing bridge for traffic to use while the new bridge is built. The Bailey bridge will be suitable for all vehicles.

Traffic management, including a 30km/h speed limit and traffic lights, will be in place.

Other improvements planned for the Forgotten World Highway include sealing the 12km of unsealed road through Tangarakau Gorge, safety improvements, a new bridge at the Kahouri Stream and passing and wayfinding opportunities.

Representatives from local iwi, Stratford District Council, Consultants WSP and Emmetts Civil Construction along with local residents attended a blessing at the Manawawiri stream site recently

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Popping off rocks helped road users on the Nevis Bluff

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Robert Choveaux, Waka Kotahi Senior Network Manager, Central Otago, says  the approach was adopted to avoid using blasting techniques which cause more disruption for drivers. 

“It is similar to a hydraulic press and what fire crews call the jaws of life.  It pries open the rock before airbags are slipped in. Once inflated they add pressure which results in rock being forced out.” 

If blasting had been used the road would have been closed for up to 60-minute periods for safety reasons.

But by using this technique, which was also used along the Kaikōura coast after its massive earthquake, the road was only closed for 10-minute periods to limit traffic disruption as much as possible. 

Across the bluff, loose rock ranging from grain and pebble sized pieces to small boulders were removed. 

Aerial and land inspections were completed at the rock face which borders State Highway 6, at Gibbston, late last month.

The site, situated about half-way between Cromwell and Queenstown above the Kawarau River, has its stability monitored regularly to ensure the highway, and its users, are always kept safe. That includes monthly inspections. 

That was due to the “complex geology” of the rock formation, Mr Choveaux adds.

“We do this by sending a helicopter up with experienced geotech staff who review the face, take pictures and record any changes to the face.”

Waka Kotahi undertakes routine scaling (rock removal), geological mapping, monitoring equipment checks, and assessment of existing rock bolts and anchor points bi-annually on the road which was first opened in 1867.

“It is imperative to keep State Highway 6 open for tourism and freight. Pre-Covid estimates showed on average nearly 5400 vehicles daily with 8.7% of those being heavy vehicles.”

Addressing all known geotechnical hazards before winter allows the crews to work before freeze thaw conditions set in which can affect the slope and potentially create instabilities which would cause further disruptions to the public.

“Most road users don’t know or don’t appreciate the amount of work that goes into maintaining firstly this slope but also the road itself. You may have been stopped for a period and noticed a helicopter,” he says.

These regular inspections to monitor and stabilise the Nevis Bluff are part of Waka Kotahi’s commitment to provide a safe, accessible highway network. 

Robert Choveaux, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Senior Network Manager, Central Otago

Facts:

  • The road was opened during the Otago gold rush in 1867.
  • It has recorded several major slips; In June 1975 30,000 m3 of rock fell from the face of the Nevis Bluff closing the road.  A rock fall of 10,000 m3 closed it again in 2000.
  • The bluff is approximately 800m long and varies in height from 120m to 160m high.

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2022 Honda Insight

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2022 Honda InsightWhat kind of car is the 2022 Honda Insight? What does it compare to? The 2022 Honda Insight hybrid sedan hits the sort of sweet spot we’ve come to expect from Honda in its most refined versions of the Civic sedan—only with EPA combined ratings of up to 52 mpg, it’s far more frugal than any current offering in the Civic lineup. It…

Update – Serious Crash

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One lane is now open Southbound on the Christchurch Southern Motorway following a multiple-vehicle crash this evening.

Police thank motorists for their patience. 

 


District:

Canterbury


Description of incident:

Rolleston

Issued by: 
Police Media Centre

Serious crash in Auckland

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Police are responding to reports a car has hit a pedestrian on Reeves Road in Pakuranga at 5.40pm.

One person is in a serious condition and has been taken to hospital.

There will be cordons in place around the Pakuranga Plaza for the next few hours and motorists are advised to avoid the area. 


District:

Auckland City


Description of incident:

Pakuranga

Issued by: 
Police Media Centre

Serious Crash – Rolleston

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Police are responding to a serious collision on the Christchurch Southern Motorway near Rolleston at 5.45pm this evening.

It appears one person is in a serious condition.

The Southbound lane is completely blocked and diversions are in place at Weedons Road Overbridge.

Motorists are advised to expect delays.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre


District:

Canterbury


Description of incident:

Christchurch Southern Motorway

Road repair works on SH26 Hamilton on Sunday night

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The work will take place between the intersections with State Highway 1 and Matangi Road, between 6pm Sunday night and 6am Monday morning.

Rubberised bitumen will be poured into cracks in the road surface to make it more waterproof and durable.

Stop/Go traffic management with a 30km/h speed limit will be in place.

Waka Kotahi thanks motorists and residents for their patience while we carry out this important work.

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New safety improvements underway for ‘Cam to Tram’

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From this Sunday evening, 13 June, work will begin on installing side barriers, flexible median safety barriers and widening sections of SH1, to help prevent head-on and run off road crashes.

Changes to the layout of the Ohoka Road southbound off-ramp, including widening the shoulder, shortening the median island and moving signs and streetlights, will make it easier for over-size vehicles to exit the motorway.

The Ohoka Road off-ramp upgrade is planned to be finished by mid-July, with the barrier installation and road widening being undertaken in stages through to February 2022.

During this period there will be both night and daytime works.  Traffic management, including temporary speed restrictions and changes to the road layout, will be in place at times.

The SH1 Cam River to Tram Road Safety Improvements Project will improve the safety and resilience of the corridor. 

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Nelson heritage railway gets the safety nod at FRONZ awards

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The award has been presented at the Federation of Rail Organisations of New Zealand (FRONZ) annual conference for the last five years, and the Nelson Railway Society received the nod for this year’s award on Sunday night. 

Waka Kotahi Senior Manager Safer Rail, Neil Adams, says the society identified potential risks to its equipment, its members and the public and took the initiative to develop a programme of work to address these risks. 

“Nelson Railway Society has demonstrated the application of the principles of risk management to a major project,” Mr Adams says. 

Among the risks identified were a gradient and a curve on the existing line that was causing wear and tear, safety hazards for pedestrians and cyclists using public pathways to cross the rail lines, the need for the train to reverse into a public park for another attempt at making its way up the gradient, and hazards for staff involved in the construction of the new line. 

“Thanks to the society’s approach, a clearer view is now possible for train drivers as they approach the cycleway/pedestrian level crossing, and the visual awareness for the cycle and walkway users is also improved.” 

In arriving at its decision, the judges considered how each organisation presented its submission in accordance with the award criteria, including the quality of the research, the evidence supplied to support the initiative, the attention to detail and how each organisation measured its outcome. 

“It’s really pleasing to see a number of the organisations in the tourist and heritage sector putting forward quality entries to support the safety-conscious approach they took to their projects. These approaches lead to safer operations not only for their visitors but for those hard-working members who keep railways like the Nelson Railway Society going,” Mr Adams says.

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