Months late, now new Waikato passing lanes need rebuilding

Transit NZ contractors will have to dig up part of a new passing lane which should have opened almost three months ago on Waikato's notorious Maramarua highway.

The agency had hoped to open a $2.8 million set of lanes along 1.5km of State Highway 2 at Heaven Straight, east of Maramarua, in time for Queen's Birthday weekend in early June.

But uneven new seal has created ponds of water, so the lanes remain coned off. Motorists are restricted to a maximum speed of 70km/h and prevented from overtaking.

Transit regional manager Chris Allen said last night that about 400m of seal on the new eastbound lane would have to be broken for the underlying pavement to be built up to a satisfactory standard.

He hoped that now the weather was becoming drier, the repairs could be completed by the end of next month.

Maramarua resident Avril Thomson said the road had already been wide enough to provide rare passing opportunities and the community was "brassed off" at the lengthy traffic restrictions.

Farmer Lindsay Heaven, along whose property the new passing lanes run, said it had been obvious to him and others before new seal was laid that the camber was wrong.

Mr Allen disputed this, saying someone would have needed a "very, very good eye" to detect the problem, which became apparent to Transit only after a heavy downfall.

Meanwhile Transit has awarded a $2.1 million contract for the first stage of a $9 million project to improve the northern approach to Hamilton on State Highway 1.

The new contract will start within a fortnight, with a target completion in May, and will widen the highway to four lanes for about 1km between Church Rd and Avalon Drive.