Car damaged by ‘flying’ gravel
Inglewood mum Danielle Lehndorf was heading out for a lunch date on Friday but, after getting stuck in traffic for 20 minutes because of roadworks across town, she ended up back at home with three chips in her windscreen and a broken window instead.
Lehndorf said some roads around Inglewood were littered with loose stones that were sent flying up against her car, and other vehicles, by passing cars and trucks.
‘‘It was just chaos.’’
The mother-of-four said she did not see any road signs warning drivers about loose gravel and, after abandoning her trip to Stratford, she went home.
Scared of getting any more windscreen chips, she said she was extra cautious and tried to warn other drivers to slow down too.
It was then she heard a bang, which ‘‘sounded like a bomb going off’’, and discovered her back driver’s side window had broken after a flying stone hit it.
She posted photos of what happened on Facebook, under a post on the Inglewood Town Info Hub page, which drew responses from other town residents who had encountered similar issues, with cars left with chipped paint work or windscreens.
Lehndorf said she couldn’t afford to get the window fixed so would be driving around with a donated real estate sign taped in its place for the foreseeable future.
On Saturday, loose gravel was seen scattered on the side of the road along State Highway 3, from outside Inglewood High School through to the Inglewood Dairy on Matai St.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has been approached for comment on this specific issue but, in an unrelated advisory, asked Taranaki motorists to be mindful of a ramping up of roadworks around the region in the coming weeks.
It said its contractors had been busy repairing damage caused by severe weather in Taranaki in recent weeks, including when the region copped the remnants of ex-cyclone Dovi.
Waka Kotahi regional manager maintenance and operations Jaclyn Hankin said the weatherrelated remediation work included attempts to stop the erosion of stream banks near Heimama Stream Bridge on SH45.
A section of SH3 near a slip at Uruti was also being governed by stop/go traffic lights until a safety assessment could be carried out.
The next fortnight will also see crews completing pre-seal repairs on SH3, SH3A and SH45, Waka Kotahi said.
There would be ‘‘multiple sites’’ under stop-go management, but delays should not exceed 10 minutes, the agency said.
Resealing work would also continue at ‘‘a large number of locations on Taranaki roads’’ over the next two months.
Stop-go signs will be in place, with short delays expected.
Waka Kotahi said to minimise risk of damage to vehicles or the road seal, motorists needed to stick to the temporary speed restrictions in place.