Roadworks Season Kicks Off
More than 104 kilometres of Whangārei’s sealed roads will get fresh surfaces this summer, and one kilometre of new sealed road will be added.
Council has already started road upgrades and re-surfacing, making the most of the coming season of dryer weather and longer days.
Major roading projects have also kicked off for the summer roadworks season with Council widening Porowini Avenue Maunu Road intersections and the New Zealand Transport Agency working to improve the intersection of Tarewa Road and State Highway 1 near Tarewa Park.
Almost $40 million will be invested in transport maintenance and improvements between now and 1 July next year. This includes $1.1 million in road drainage improvements; $1.7 million to repair and replace structures; $3.8 million to rehabilitate sealed roads; $1.5m on shared paths, $2m on LED upgrades, $2m intersection improvements and just over $4.3 million of re-seals. Unsealed roads will also benefit from an $800,000 investment while $4.8 million of minor improvements will be completed across the network.
The rest of the work to be completed during the year, and over the next three years and decade is outlined in Council’s Long Term Plan.
Planned major roading projects include improvements to the southern entrance way to the city; the four-laning of Riverside Drive (2024-25); intersection improvements for One Tree Point Road (2021-22); and the upgrading of the intersection of Kioreroa Road and Port Road (2021-22).
Q: Why seal and re-seal?
The seal on a road is like paint on a house – it keeps the structure underneath dry, secure and sound.
But, like paint, it doesn’t last forever and requires maintenance and replacement to do its job properly.
Wear and tear, changes in temperature, rain and underlying ground conditions all mean the surface must be constantly maintained and repaired. There is no such thing as “once and for all” in the transport world.
Q: What if my road looks fine?
When the surface of a street starts to break down it is time to reseal. The ideal time to reseal is just before any damage occurs, so a road may still look to be in good condition. We aim to keep it that way.
Q: Didn’t they just do that bit?
Sometimes it can be frustrating to see road repairs happening in the same spots repeatedly. This is not because the road works are failing, it is because road surfaces are built in layers and that requires a number of repair stages be done in the right sequence.
Rather than doing all the stages in one spot, involving all the materials and equipment to be taken there, Council goes over the whole network doing one stage, then goes over again, doing the next stage and so on, until it is all done. It is more cost efficient this way.
Q: What is the chip seal process?
Minor repairs are carried out prior to resealing. The contractor will contact residents in the street about a week before work begins.
Hot bitumen is sprayed and stone sealing chips are spread and rolled in.
Excess sealing chips are swept away and road marking is reinstated a few days after sealing.
As many as three additional sweeps may follow in the next six months.
Sometimes contractors carry out staged repairs on roads one year, before the same section of road is resealed a year later.
Q: Why summer?
The drier months with longer days are better for building roads because the different layers that make up the roads stick better to each other when they can be kept dry. Longer daylight hours also mean more work can be done each day without lights, which is safer and less expensive.
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
-
31.7% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
-
68.3% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Something we all seem to have forgotten
An Obituary to Common Sense printed in the London Times
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.
No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated valuable lessons like:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- And maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge)
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher
fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death;
-by his parents, Truth and Trust,
-by his wife, Discretion,
-by his daughter, Responsibility,
-and by his son, Reason
He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers;
- I Know My Rights,
- I Want It Now,
- Someone Else Is To Blame,
- I'm A Victim,
- Pay me for Doing Nothing
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing…
This is a modified version of a text that is originally attributed to Lori Borgman. However, it is more true today than it was when first written. It is not the version I remember, but it still gets the point across. Enjoy and remember.
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
Loading…
