Frustrations over condition of roads aired with Waka Kotahi at Timaru council meeting

A lack of funding has led to “more patching’’ on roads throughout New Zealand over the past 10 years, a representative from the country’s transport agency has admitted.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency director regional relationships James Caygill’s comments at a Timaru District Council infrastructure committee meeting on Tuesday, came after he was drilled by councillors over a range of roading issues in the district.

These included frustrations over congestion at the intersection outside The Showgrounds complex, and the “absolutely knackered’’ state of some of the district’s roads.

Caygill said as well as being a timing issue, a lack of funding had also played a part.

“Most importantly we have simply not been in the funding environment where we have been able to do work nationally, and in Timaru, because the state highway runs through it, your town has experienced more than others,’’ he said.

“We haven’t done as much rehabilitation of pavement as we would have liked, and we have had to do more reseals – patching and covering, than would be optimal, so you have experienced the slow decline of the condition of the network.’’

He said they had been trying to get on top of that over the past decade and was hopeful “the worst is behind” Timaru.

Committee chairperson Sally Parker said there appeared to be many people unhappy about the state of SH1, including heavy vehicle drivers.

“It feels like there’s an increased risk of accidents just waiting to happen,” she said, adding that it was exacerbated by Bridge Rd housing, a busy freezing works and fire station.

Congestion at the intersection outside The Showgrounds retail complex off SH1 had led to frustrated motorists contacting authorities, councillors and The Timaru Herald to air concerns about delays, since it opened in March.

Waka Kotahi had already said the congestion could take up to a year to resolve.

On Tuesday, Caygill acknowledged the construction phase for the complex was disruptive to the community.

“There is still work to come on that intersection not least of which a culvert replacement which has to occur just to the north [of the development].’’

As part of the development work, the Taitarakihi Creek box culvert was yet to be installed, he said.

However, Caygill said there was no escaping growth in that part of Timaru.

He said Waka Kotahi was planning its 2024-2027 national land transport programme.

“I’m satisfied we’ve flagged, for us, the need to keep doing work and elevate the work on the Timaru state highway corridor.’’

He was unable to address Parker’s concerns about a backflow of traffic from the intersection to Bridge Rd, but said he would take a note and get back to her.

Councillor Allan Booth pointed out the piece of SH1, heading north from Ranui Ave towards the top of the hill was “absolutely knackered”.

Caygill said he also found the same stretch of road troublesome.

“Sometimes that’s been inadequate fixes that haven’t stood the test and that’s unfortunate, and we apologise for those.

“But more generally, we’ve been trying to hold and time the proper rehabilitation of parts of that corridor until after servicing work underneath the corridor has been completed by yourselves in order to make sure we’re not frankly doing the work and then having to redo it.’’

Councillor Stu Piddington told Caygill that last year he had lpromised Timaru’s state highway would get a new surface next year.

“Are you now moving back from that, from SH1?’’ Piddington said.

“You’re doing a lot of talking, but you’re just going around in circles mate, to be honest.’’

Caygill did not want to comment further until Waka Kotahi’s summer programme had been decided.

“That’s a bit disappointing I have to say after you promised last time we’d get it, now we’re hearing potholes might be ahead,’’ Piddington replied.

Caygill said he would speak to the agency’s regional manager of operations.

Piddington asked why Waka Kotahi allowed developers to have temporary traffic solutions and “create nightmares for commuters’’.

He also agreed with Parker’s contention that issues at Bridge Rd and Jellicoe St needed to be addressed.

When Caygill said he would also ask about this issue, Piddington said he understood the agency was monitoring the situation at The Showgrounds.

“We’re monitoring to make sure we have what limited temporary interventions we can actually undertake, but we have limited tools,” Caygill said.

Piddington questioned that, saying “whenever I talk to anyone inside council they say you [Waka Kotahi] are the people in charge, so I’m finding this to be a bit of a mystery, to be honest’’.

Caygill apologised and said he could only speak to the level of information he had.

“Everyone’s frustrated James, and we don’t seem to get any answers,’’ Piddington replied.

Other issues raised included the road markings at The Showgrounds intersection and the engineered asphalt along parts of the state highway.

Caygill said Waka Kotahi was endeavouring to change the maintenance contract structure across the country.