Work has begun on installing a new water main on Te Aute Rd this week, part of Hastings District Council’s ongoing comprehensive drinking water infrastructure upgrades.

It’s the start of a two-year programme of work in this area, designed to fulfil council’s commitment to ensuring the ongoing safety, resilience, and sufficient capacity of supply for urban residents across Hastings, as well as the need to meet national drinking water standards.

This initial work will support future growth in the area, and local contractors Drainways started preparatory work on Monday this week to install two sections of water pipeline, one from Havelock Rd to Te Aute Rd, and the other on Te Aute Rd.

Pipework for the Havelock Rd to Te Aute Rd section will run through Anderson Park, and a connection will also be made from the Porter Drive roundabout to the Anderson Park gates on Te Aute Rd.

Multiple crews will be working at the same time to get the work completed as soon as possible, from Monday to Friday during daylight hours – the final project estimated to be complete by mid to late December.

The works have begun in the southern parking lane along Te Aute Rd, and two-way traffic flow will be maintained, but there may be speed restrictions and stop-go operators at times.

There will be restrictions to parking and cyclists in the southern lane, and if individual driveway access is to be interrupted, the contractors will make direct contact with affected residents in advance.

There will be some drilling along Te Aute Rd and through the Anderson Park carpark and trenching in the Anderson Park fields, timed to occur between the rugby and cricket seasons from late September until Labour Weekend.

Work on the Porter Drive roundabout will take about one week in mid-September, one side of the roundabout will be closed so full traffic management will be in place.

Further work is planned for the Havelock North area over the coming one to two years.

Drinking water services will be installed along Campbell St (from Duart Rd) and from Porter Drive through to the corner of Middle Rd and then along Middle Road through to Iona Road. Stormwater services will be going in along Campbell St from Busby Hill, through to the Havelock North Bowling Club.

Both of these projects are to start early in 2021.

For all of this work, all efforts will be made to minimise disruption for residents and motorists as these essential infrastructure upgrades are undertaken.

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