Northland's roading network is cracking under a huge strain created by the weather and redirection of traffic volumes.
North of Whangarei, a massive State Highway 1 slip near Hukerenui pushed traffic through a nearby Ruapekapeka Rd detour. A Northern Publishing employee heading north this week drove the Ruapekapeka detour. Traumatised by the experience of highway traffic volumes on a narrow rural metal backroad, she vowed to use an alternative route to get north.
That route - Mangakahia Rd - is about 85km, a similar distance from Whangarei to Kaikohe via SH1.
But it's cracking under the strain of redirected traffic. Which leaves the virtually inconceivable notion to Northlanders of the 190km trip to Kaikohe via driving west on SH12 and then north via SH14. A route that was suggested at the height of the flood-related traffic crisis.
For a long time, I have wondered about the quality of Northland roads. It is a lay person's observation, as a motorist, but I think our roads are of a poorer quality than elsewhere in the North Island.