Moerewa road repaired by summer
Nearly two years after slips caused major delays on State Highway 1 near Moerewa, work has begun to repair the damage.
Battered by heavy weather in late 2014, a slip forced the closure of the passing lane and shoulder on Turntable Hill, just north of the Moerewa township.
The New Zealand Transport Agency hopes the 1km northbound passing lane will be reopened by Christmas, weather permitting.
NZTA Northland Highway Manager Brett Gliddon says the conditions surrounding the slips have delayed construction.
‘‘The design has been complex due to the location of the slip and the soil and rock conditions which has meant it’s taken us longer than we’d have liked to get the repairs underway.
‘‘We’re very pleased to be able to make a start on fixing this area so that we’re able to reopen the passing lane to improve travel for our customers in time for the busy summer holiday season.’’
Work to repair the 50-metre long section of highway near Hautapu Rd began on July 29 and will include the construction of a two-metre high gabion wall and the repairing of the road surface.
Otiria Marae trustee Elizabeth Boutet says the Moerewa com- munity feel low on the list of priorities.
She says the effects of flooding in the area, such as the slip, have not been well managed by council.
‘‘We have had members of council visit us at the marae to discuss our concerns but we have had no assurance from them that they are working on solutions to our problems. We are fed up with it.’’
Boutet also says that the major slip currently being repaired by NZTA is not the first one to have occurred at the site.
‘‘You could see small slips starting before the big one happened, so it should have been looked at earlier,’’ she says.
A Transport Agency spokeswoman says the agency met with iwi at Otiria Marae in March to discuss the plans for remediation work and seek feedback.
There was no significant feedback or concerns raised either at the time or since then, the spokeswoman says.
Moses Cherrington, a former Arch Deacon of the Anglican Church, was asked to bless the site before work began.