Roadworks for main city route

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Major roadworks are planned for a main Rotorua route this weekend - with motorists travelling in and out of the city to the east being advised to expect delays and allow extra time to get around the city.

NZ Transport Agency contractors will be resealing a stretch of SH30A (Amohau Street and Te Ngae Road), between Fenton Street and Sala Street from 7pm Friday March 4 until Sunday March 6.

The work would mainly take place at night, with different lanes closed at different times.
It would focus firstly on the lanes heading towards the CBD (west/north) on Friday night, and on the lanes heading toward Lynmore and the Rotorua Airport (east/south) on Saturday night.

The works have been planned so that access to businesses on this section of road, such as Pak'nSave, will be unaffected during their opening hours.

The Transport Agency's Bay of Plenty journey manager Nigel D'Ath said it was vital people allowed an extra 10 to 15 minutes to travel around Rotorua during the work.

"We understand road works can be a real inconvenience which is why we are giving people as much information as we can so they can be prepared for the delays this job will create."

"The surface on this section of road is severely cracked and in need of a new layer to protect the road structure underneath. The seal on a road is like the paint on your house - it keeps water out of the structure underneath," he said.

"And like paint, a road's seal also breaks down over time and starts to let water in, which is what has been happening on this section of road. While minor work has been completed over the last few years to slow the process down, the time has come for a new layer of seal."

During the work contractors will also be laying a special kind of chip that provides more skid resistance to the corner near Hinemaru Street (outside the Sudima Hotel) to improve safety in this area.

The reseal work is weather dependent and cannot be completed if it is raining, or expected to rain shortly after sealing. It will be postponed until Sunday and Monday nights if required.

People can get information on road works and detours in the region they are in, or travelling to by checking www.nzta.govt.nz/summerjourneys, by calling 0800 444 449 or following the Transport Agency on Facebook or Twitter.