No signs for gravel road
There are fears that a lack of signage will lead to an accident on an unsealed section of road, according to a concerned resident.
Sharon Groves, who lives on Wall Rd off State Highway One, between Himatangi and Foxton, is worried there will be a serious accident, despite her best attempts to bring attention to the issue.
Roadworks were carried out to seal each end of the road, but the middle section was never completed, leaving about 2 kilometres of the road unsealed.
Groves has no problem with the gravel section itself, but she is worried about the lack of signage.
She often sees ‘‘boy racers’’ speeding past her house, only seconds away from encountering the unsealed section.
‘‘Whenever I hear the fire siren go, I always wonder.’’
Groves has been in contact with police, the NZ Transport Agency and Horowhenua District Council about putting in proper signage, but said none had been able to provide a solution.
‘‘I’ve been everywhere — things can’t stay like this.’’
Although there are roadwork signs informing drivers of the gravel, the signs end up falling into the ditches on either side of the road.
She would like to see more permanent signage installed to warn motorists to slow down.
The road is mainly used by locals, but Groves said those who were less familiar might not be aware of the unfinished works.
Council roading services manager Kevin Peel said it had been completing seal extensions on Wall Rd for the past four years, and the final section would be completed later this year.
Contractors added sandbags to the base of the signs to stop them from falling over yesterday. Peel said a permanent sign had been ordered and would be attached to a post on the side of the road.
Groves said she was worried it would take an accident before the problem was dealt with.