Parts of the surface seal on Ōhope Road and a small section of Gorge Road are to be repaired as soon as warmer weather arrives. A reseal programme was successfully completed last summer, but issues have arisen with parts of the new surface, and this will require remedial action.

Martin Taylor, Transportation Manager at the Whakatāne District Council, says that ongoing cold weather means that resealing must wait, however. “It’s the wrong time of year to try and effect any repairs at the moment as bitumen repairs work best in warmer temperatures. So we have to just keep monitoring and sweeping the site until temperatures are warm enough to undertake repair work,” he says.  

“It’s also likely that a temporary speed restriction will be put in place over the problem areas until they are fixed,” Mr Taylor says, “as it’s the speed of traffic on the tight corners that is creating more lateral stresses on the chipseal than it can cope with.”