Downer will redo roadbuilding works on SH3 at Mountain Road after Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the work fell short of expectations.

Works on the road, between Tariki, between Midhirst and Inglewood, included repairing potholes, sealing the surface and line marking on the section of SH3 adjacent to Old Mountain Road and had been underway since early August.

In early October, Downer crews has to complete urgent seal repairs after a new reseal failed earlier in the week due to the new chip seal surface stripping (severe chip/stone loss) during a ‘polar blast’.”

Acting Central North Island regional maintenance and operations manager Rob Service said the team at Downer acknowledges and apologises for the current situation and will be fixing it at their cost.

Work on a long-term treatment for the site will be weather dependent, as it requires several days and nights of dry weather and warm day and night-time temperatures for the chip to embed properly into the road surface.

In the meantime, traffic management will remain in place at the site to help keep everyone safe and avoid further damage to the road, until the permanent work can be completed.

“Waka Kotahi is aware of concerns about the repairs and apologises to local residents and those who travel through Tariki regularly,” said Service.

“We will be doing what we can to minimise frustration and help people prepare by sharing information about what they can expect in advance of any works.

“We know how important it is for the people of Taranaki to have safe and reliable roads. We expect better than what we’ve seen here and the people who travel and live alongside this section of road should be able to expect better too.”