Roads will take some time to repair

Our district's roads have been hard hit by this week's rain.  A large number of potholes have appeared throughout the city where water has got through the road surface onto already saturated ground. Roading contractors are busy making temporary repairs to the potholes, clearing culverts and removing slip materials. Permanent repairs will only be possible when the weather improves.

Extra caution is required on all district roads while repairs are made and road surfaces are slippery.   This may take some time.

The district's rural community is hardest hit with slips reducing some roads to one lane.  The slips will take several weeks to clear. It is important that drivers take notice of temporary road signs and instructions given by the on-site traffic controllers.

It is unclear at this stage how many of the district's 350 bridges have been affected by rising flood waters. All will require a visual inspection to ensure the bridge approaches are not damaged. This will only be possible once the waters recede. Council may restrict heavy vehicles or speeds on some bridges until the inspections are completed.

Council roading engineers are still inspecting the 1800 km roading network. At this stage the initial repair bill is estimated to be $650,000k. Council will be applying for an emergency work subsidy from New Zealand Transport Agency.

Gisborne District Council's land transport manager Dave Hadfield is pleased how well the roading network has held up.  "We have received a significant amount of rain and rivers have been at capacity. Considering this, damage to our roading network could have been significantly worse."