More metal roads work this year

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 619, 16 January 1996, Page 2

More metal roads work this year

A revised road works programme which will see more work on metal roads and less on sealed roads was accepted by the Ruapehu District Council at their December meeting. The council accepted the 1996/97 District Land Transport Programme as it is to be presen'ted to Transit New Zealand. Under the programme, seal smoothing spending is reduced by $230,000 to $240,000; unsealed smoothing is $430,000 (last year no allocation was set aside for this); major rehabilitation work is reduced by $254,000 to allow completion of Pipiriki Road and the transfer of $400,000 from other seal extensions to complete the work on seal extension on Pipiriki Road.

The programmeis as submitted to TNZ and the council can vary it later by transferring work or by applying for more TNZ funding later, roads asset manager Jim Moore advised councillors. State highway work Also accepted at the meeting was the regional state highway programme, presented by TNZ, which includes: • Hihitahi Reconstruction: $3.8 million will be spent over three years to build new bridging and diverting the Hautapu River to avoid the tight bends commonly known as 'Mulvay's Corner', just south of the Ruapehu

boundary. There have been three fatal accidents there in the past five years. • Waiouru Crossing: $420,000 is to be spent next year on rehabilitation and seal widening at the railway crossing south of Waiouru. • Spiral Hill: $1 million will be spent over two years on Stage Two of the reconstruction of the road south of Raurimu. Eight substandard curves will be replaced by one curve. Also included is $75,000 for a 'strategy study' to look at ways to improve the highway between Raetihi and the Hiwis.