Bealey Ave resealing next stage in roading programme

The smoothing of a 1.4km stretch of Bealey Avenue this summer is a major project in Christchurch City Council’s $176 million, citywide road resealing programme.

The 10-year road resealing programme is part of a wider Council strategy of ongoing repairs and maintenance to roads, underground pipes and footpaths after the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT) winds down at the end of the year.

Council’s City Services General Manager David Adamson says the Council has prepared a programme of road, footpath and pipe repairs to follow the work of SCIRT. Funding has been allocated for the work, which has already started and will be carried out over coming years.

A number of key city roads are scheduled to be smoothed and resealed this financial year, including:

• Bealey Avenue from Papanui Road to Barbadoes Street on the north side and Colombo to Barbadoes on the south. Work to start early 2017.

• Marine Parade in New Brighton from Beresford to Shackleton, with work to start before Christmas.

• Hawke Street in New Brighton from Marine Parade to Keyes Road, with work to start before Christmas.

“The city and ratepayers can only afford so much each year, so we’ll prioritise the most essential work first in both our roading and three waters programmes.

'We'll prioritise the most essential work first.'

"SCIRT has done a fantastic job to finish the rebuild work it was tasked with by Council and Central Government back in 2011. Now the Council is ready to pick up the mantle and carry out the remaining work as part of our ongoing maintenance renewal programmes.”

A significant part of SCIRT’s focus was on repairing water and waste pipes buried under the roads. In many cases, the roads were made safe and functional, then patched. The Council will now reseal and smooth these roads, focusing first on the Central City and eastern suburbs.

The road resealing is part of the Council’s $1 billion, 10-year total roading programme across the city which includes the Accessible City, Sumner Lyttelton Corridor and Major Cycleways projects. The budget includes $15.6 million for footpath repairs, which were not generally included in SCIRT’s programme.

At present, the Council is using standard maintenance and capital programme contracts to deliver the work. However it is considering a range of options to speed-up work and ensure it delivers all the projects set out in its $450 million capital programme this financial year.

"The Council has committed to a significant programme of work in its 10-year Long Term Plan. We are confident we will achieve what we have said we will do, and we’re looking at new ways of working to ensure this happens,” Mr Adamson says.

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