NZTA said it anticipated further temporary pothole fixes would be likely due to heavy and persistent rain. Photo / Eva de Jong
NZTA said it anticipated further temporary pothole fixes would be likely due to heavy and persistent rain. Photo / Eva de Jong
Ten potholes in Whanganui repaired to meet the Government’s Pothole Prevention Fund targets had reopened just days later - although New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says the faults were due to persistent wet weather.
On September 18, about 10 potholes on State Highway 3 Carlton Ave were repaired by NZTA to meet the Government Policy Statement on land transport, with an expectation a greater number of potholes on state highways would be identified and fixed within 24 hours.
Two days after the repair job,the Chronicle photographed the repaired potholes, which had visible gaps and were filled with water.
In response to questions about whether the repairs had failed, NZTA regional manager of maintenance and operations Rua Pani said the volume of traffic on Carlton Ave increased the risk of the road failing during extended periods of wet weather, such as had been experienced lately.
“Crews were on-site on Saturday making temporary fixes; however, with further heavy and persistent rain [on Sunday], it’s anticipated further temporary fixes will be likely,” Pani said.
“A permanent fix for this area, such as a new reseal, is subject to investigation, design and funding. In the meantime, temporary repairs are being carried out as required.”
SH3 Carlton Avenue carries about 10,000 vehicles a day, with around 700 trucks.
Carlton Ave in Whanganui remained open while workers carried out the repair job. Photo / Eva de Jong
The road remained open while the potholes were being repaired, with the Chronicle observing contractors dodging traffic to fill the holes.
Pani said a risk assessment was carried out first and the safety of roading crews and road users was the main priority when determining what traffic management was needed.
In this case, other crew members were monitoring for oncoming traffic.
“The contractor has completed an ‘on-foot risk assessment’ and based on the input of the risk assessment, it was deemed suitable not to have temporary traffic management set up at this site.
“The need for safety as the main priority is also balanced with the desire to minimise disruption to road users, ensuring efficiency for travel.”
Work to ensure potholes are no longer dominating New Zealand’s roads is an ongoing project promoted by Transport Minister Simeon Brown.
NZTA crews applied temporary repairs to about 10 potholes on Carlton Ave in Whanganui. Photo / Eva de Jong
Pani said during the initial repair, crews filled the potholes with cold asphalt first, followed by a bitumen repair patch - which is a commonly used semi-permanent solution to fix potholes.
He said the bitumen repair patch was used as added protection against the rain and wet weather.
“The combination of cold asphalt and a bitumen repair patch will work well as a temporary fix while plans are put in place for a more permanent fix, which would involve resealing that section of road.
“It’s important to remember the repairs are only temporary because hotter, drier weather is needed for more permanent solutions such as resealing.”
NZTA has agreed to the following targets with contractors:
95% of potholes on high-volume, national and arterial state highways to be repaired within 24 hours of identification.
85% of potholes on regional, primary collector and secondary collector state highways to be repaired within 24 hours of identification.
NZTA strongly advises all road users to drive to the conditions when they see a pothole, slow down and, when it’s safe to do so, report the pothole and its location to 0800 4 HIGHWAYS.
Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.
