Parts of Racecourse Road suffered from “bleeding seal” last week.
A watermain upgrade for Te Awamutu is scheduled to be completed in March.
But it’s gone through some sticky moments in Racecourse Road this month as daytime temperatures rocketed.
“This happens when bitumen softens and rises to the surface under high temperatures, a seasonal issue known as bleeding seal,” Eeva-Liisa Wright, Group manager service delivery told The News.
“Our contractors are spreading chip on the worst areas. These patches usually settle once temperatures stabilise.
“We understand that road works and hot-weather impacts can be frustrating, and we appreciate the community’s patience as the team works to complete this important upgrade.”
The watermain project has a $7.38 million budget.
It involves replacing 5.4 km of trunk and principal mains, installing pipe attachments to the Mangapiko Bridge on SH3 and Mangaohoi Bridge on Arawata Street, connecting two reservoirs to the a 560mm-diameter trunk main, installing 30 valves and chambers, 22 new fire hydrants, and 90 property connections and abandoning 3.6 km of old pipe along with associated valves and hydrants.
Work began in June last year.
“The project has faced some challenges, including in gaining the necessary traffic management approvals to access and work safely on the State Highway network, structural work required to attach the new trunk main to the Mangapiko footbridge, and complex pipe installation on steep or congested sections between Taylors Hill Reservoir and Racecourse Road,” Wright said.
“Connecting the new trunk main to reservoir while keeping water supply uninterrupted has also added complexity.”
Parts of Racecourse Road suffered from “bleeding seal” last week. Photo – Roy Pilott
