Bruce Road seal work will be over next year

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 242, 10 May 1988, Page 7

Bruce Road seal work will be over next year

Sealing o f Whakapapa Skifield's access road should be completely sealed by the end of next year's ski season. That's the hope of the Department of Conservation which is overseeing the project. Contractors are currently hard filling a 2.5km section of the 6km road. The department hopes this area will be tarsealed by the beginning of next summer. When that is completed, major work will start on the lower sec-

tion of the road. Senior conservation officer for the Whakapapa sub-district, Mr Graeme Ayres, says cars should be able to travel at up to 80kph on the road when sealing is completed. "And the road could also cope with 2500 cars a day during the ski-season." He says the department's contribution to the project has been one of resources, such as machinery, site monitoring and environmental aspects. "We see the upgrading is going to be of benefit to skifield users - that's why we are

contributing in this way." Ruapehu Alpine Lifts is the main financial backer of the project,, the cost of which is not available. It's also behind the expansion of the car park at the Top of the Bruce. Before work began about a month ago, there was capacity for about 1500 cars. Another 270 car parks are now available as the first stage of expansion nears completion. The project is ongoing, and eventually the car park should hold up to 2500 cars.