11 February 2019

Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Paradise Valley Road roadworks

Enquiry

Reporter sought an update on the Paradise Valley Road works and had the following questions:

What is happening at the Paradise Valley roadworks site?

What prompted the works?

What safety outcomes will they provide?

How many staff are working there, and how many days a week?

Are the works taking longer than expected?

Why?

What is the project costing?

Is that more than first expected?

Anything else you'd like to add.

Response

From Infrastructure Group Manager Stavros Michael:

Last year's 29 April storm in Rotorua caused a large underslip on Paradise Valley Road and this has required major works to stabilise and reinstate the road. This followed previous storm-related damage to this stretch of road which was still under repair at the time of the April weather event.

This is an approximately $1m project which was tendered and awarded in late October last year. The work includes ground stabilisation both above and below the road. Stabilisation has included construction of an earth wall approximately 70m long and 11m high.

Major roadworks require substantial work to make the work site safe for those working there. That's been needed with this project and the contractors faced some challenges with that, as well as with the work to stabilise and reinstate the road.

As with any roading project, Council and its contractors want to get this work completed as soon as possible and the aim is always to cause as little disruption as possible.

However, it's important people understand that there is always the possibility of delays due to the nature of roadworks and the environment we are often having to work in.

As often occurs with roadworks, this project has had some weather delays and has been further delayed by additional challenges at the site, including soil saturation, a groundwater spring under the road formation that required special management and controls to avoid a major road collapse, and further slope erosion which occurred during construction and required the road to be closed for a period due to safety concerns. Unscheduled road-widening which had to be undertaken was finished prior to Christmas, along with ground stabilisation works above and below the road.

The road was then re-opened to a single-lane with traffic signals in place and the contractor returned to the site after the New Year.

Initially expected to be finished this month, due to the additional works that have been required, the project's completion is likely to extend into March although, again, this will be dependent on any further weather delays or unforeseen issues that may arise.

The number of staff a contractor has on site at any given time will be dependent on the specific work underway and the potential at any time for deployment elsewhere to undertake emergency works that need immediate attention, such as damage caused by weather events. There are also a number of contractors needed for various aspects of a project and just like when you are building a house, they all need to be lined up in terms of timing. When delays occur, that then has a flow-on effect and sometimes there is a need for re-scheduling of work. I'm sure the public understands that this is the nature of projects like this.

Work on the Paradise Valley Road site is ongoing and is progressing towards completion, barring any further unexpected delays. The site remains open to single lane traffic, with traffic signals operating and likely to remain in place until the work is completed and the road is fully reinstated.