Auckland Regional Office

11 September 2003

MEDIA RELEASE

Major Repairs To State Highway 1 Underway In The North

Transit New Zealand is repairing three major slips on one of the busiest sections of State Highway 1 north of Kaiwaka. The slips are located along an 800m length of road near the intersection of SH1 and Mountain Road. Weather permitting, work is expected to last throughout September.

As a result, a temporary speed restriction of 30kph is in place day and night, with occasional stop/go traffic control in place during the day. Motorists travelling through the area are asked to exercise special caution.

Being repaired at a cost of $600,000, these are historic slips that have progressively worsened as a result of major storms over the past 12 months, says Transit Regional Manager Wayne McDonald. “The repair work is essential as this section of highway, which carries an average of 8,000 vehicles daily, is part of the major route to Northland.”

When completed, Mr McDonald says the section of road will be completely rebuilt and provide a smooth and safe ride for all road users.

He explains that the repair method is based on a proven French system involving the drilling of multiple holes to depths of up to 10 metres to create lime/cement-stabilised soil columns. These help lock the soil into place and future road roughness is either eliminated or minimised. The system is totally environmentally friendly. It is also fast to install resulting in less disruption to traffic. Over the past 18 months 10 slips in Northland have been repaired using this method.

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