Softer-than-expected subgrade ground conditions, and the discovery of artefacts on two occasions, mean some of the more minor improvements along Coromandel Town's main street will be completed in the New Year.

The main road will be sealed, marked and fully open to traffic and roadside parking in time for Christmas. Work will shut down until after Easter when the gardening, streetlight installation and final touches to the relocated Kapanga Road pedestrian crossing, opposite Samuel James Reserve will take place.

The main street will be completely open and free of work from about mid-December to after Easter to allow full access to businesses for summer visitors.

This week our contractor for the project, Downer, is stabilising the areas of soft subgrade with cement and then completing the road subbase layer. They will then start constructing the final road layer, the basecourse, next week.

“The good news is that Downer will concentrate all of its forces on getting the main street fully sealed and road-marked, ready for Christmas, so it will be in good condition for traffic to use,” says our Council's manager for the project, Steve Bremner.

The annual Santa Parade will still take place as scheduled on 7 December from 3pm, starting from Te Tiki Street and down Kapanga Road to Tiki Road to Coromandel Area School's bottom field.

“Weather delays, the archaeological examination of the underground brick structure discovered last week (which has now been covered back up), and the time needed to treat the soft subgrades means that Downer just don’t have the time to physically complete all of the project before Christmas,” says Mr Bremner.

“After listening to the business community, Downer will be back after Easter to complete the installation of some of the more minor tasks like gardens and street lights,” Mr Bremner says. “Any work left will be timed to be completed outside of the busy season.”

The roading improvements are to reduce the steep camber, or slope, along Kapanga Road from Charles Street through to the Karaka Stream bridge by the Hauraki Reserve in order to prevent ongoing damage to building verandahs and make it easier for vehicles to park and to enter and exit the road.

A small, mountable roundabout finished with cobblestones is being installed at the intersection of Tiki, Wharf and Kapanga roads, which larger vehicles can drive over. This will help ease traffic congestion through town in the peak visitor season.

The stormwater infrastructure along the main has already been upgraded as part of the project and the Kapanga Road pedestrian crossing is being moved to opposite Samuel James Reserve.

Downer team members and Council staff have been holding weekly meetings for residents and businesspeople to get an update on the project and also to express any views or concerns they have.

The next meeting is Wednesday (4 December) at Success Cafe, 104 Kapanga Rd, at 9am.

Read more about the project on our website.

© Scoop Media