NEWS RELEASE

12 November 2009

Stormwater upgrade aims to prevent Tawa flooding

Work has started on the upgrade of a section of stormwater main along Main Road at the southern end of the Tawa shops. The installation of the 120-metre length of 900mm-diameter pipe is intended to ease the risk of flooding in this low-lying part of Tawa.

The upgrade work has started outside Mac’s Photo & Lotto and will steadily move south along Main Road to the Lyndhurst Road roundabout.

A further 350 metres of smaller-diameter pipe will then be laid along Lyndhurst Road and then up Ngatitoa Street.

City Council Infrastructure Planning Manager Maria Archer says parking spaces outside shops on the eastern side of Main Road will be temporarily blocked-off as the necessary trenching work is done. “However we’ll be moving as quickly as possible – the intention is to make sure that any one particular carpark – or short section of carparks - is out of action for only a few days.

“The Council is highly-conscious that December is important for retailers – and so our contractor will be finished on Main Road by the start of the month.”

Through traffic on Main Road will be slowed down to 30kmh and temporary traffic signage will be used to guide vehicles around the work area. Contractors will not use noisy equipment between 12 noon and 2pm – and will work late with ‘quieter’ construction equipment to ensure the project moves as quickly as possible.

Maria Archer says two existing stormwater pipes running under Main Road are in a bad state of repair and are also no longer able to cope with very heavy rainstorms. “We’re doing this work to make sure we don’t get flooding in the shopping centre and the adjoining residential area in coming years.

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