Pothole problem

A drive along SH3 to New Plymouth is less about finding your way, and more about finding your way around the numerous potholes that seem to appear faster than mushrooms after a good rain. Actually after any rain, or sunshine, or ice, or warm weather — because the only thing coming faster than the potholes are the excuses coming from the agency responsible for the highway: Waka Kotahi. I am no engineer, nor am I a geologist, but I am fairly sure the volcanic soil so often quoted as a reason for these potholes isn’t new to the region. Unless I slept through it, we haven’t had any recent volcanic explosions covering our ground in fresh volcanic matter, so why does this soil issue cause so many problems? Surely the people at Waka Kotahi can understand that if a fix isn’t working, you need to try a new

fix? Perhaps they should employ less communications and PR people and spend the money on hiring engineers and geologists who can come up with solutions suited to the ground here.

J Roberts