Roads, footpaths planned for summer
18 September 2018
Summer in Waipā will be a busy one with work already well underway on planning for major improvements to roads and footpaths.
Waipa District Council is planning for seal extensions, new footpaths and new pedestrian crossings across the district as part of the budget recently confirmed under the 10-Year Plan.
Road corridor manager Bryan Hudson said seal extensions were planned for Waikoha Road (from Te Pahu Road), John Hewitt Drive (at the entrance to Waipuke Reserve) and Wiseman Road (around 900m) at a total cost for all three roads of around $500,000. The work does not attract a subsidy from the NZ Transport Agency; all costs for any seal extension work are paid by Council.
Tenders for the work will be let shortly with the intention, weather permitting, to complete the majority of sealing work before Christmas.
Meanwhile, within the next six months eight new footpaths are also planned. The footpaths, some joining new subdivisions to other urban areas, are planned for Browning St, Hemans St, Grey and Vogel St (in Cambridge) plus Swarbrick Dr, Fred Parsons Ct and Rewi St in Te Awamutu.
Long-term, Council is aiming to have footpaths on at least one side of all urban roads across the district, but that will take some time to achieve given other budget priorities, Hudson said.
Five new pedestrian crossings are also being designed, with construction to be staged over at least two financial years. New crossings are planned at high-use locations in Pirongia (Franklin Street, McClure Street, Crozier Street), Te Awamutu (Park Road and Cambridge Road) and Victoria Street (between Queen and Alpha St) in Cambridge.
Very early estimates put the potential cost of the crossings at $300,000. The pedestrian crossings will receive a 51% subsidy from the NZ Transport Agency.