The roadworks on Union St. Photo by Craig Baxter
Delta says it regrets any inconvenience caused by a
series of problems that have resulted in roadworks on a section
of a Dunedin street for the past eight months.
There have been roadworks in parts of Union St since May,
when a water main was damaged during work to install
ultra-fast broadband under the street.
Dunedin City Council-owned utility company Delta, which was
contracted to do the associated roadworks on the street,
claimed insurance to cover the cost of fixing the water main
and reinstating the road.
The road was reconstructed by Delta, supposedly to a state
ready for sealing, when an inspection by council staff found
several issues with it, including areas of damage arising
from water infiltration (unrelated to the broken water main)
and other areas below the required quality standards.
Council roading project engineer Evan Matheson said Delta had
been asked to reconstruct the road again, including the
construction of a new drain to divert water away from the
road and prevent future water damage to the roading base and
sub-base.
Lynda Hay, co-owner of the Kiwi's Nest Hostel, the entrance
to which runs off Union St, said she understood there was
little the contractors could do about it, as nature was
testing them, but she had lost business because of it.
''Most people were OK, but some people see roadworks and they
think, `hey, I don't want to stay here'.''
Contractors had been as accommodating as they could be,
making sure vehicles were parked away from signage and
ensuring parking where they could, but it was an extended
inconvenience she hoped would be over soon.
Some residents had had to have their residents' parks
relocated, but most people living in the street were
students, who probably were not too affected, she said.
Delta chief executive Cameron Grady did not respond to a
question last week about how these problems could have
happened, but said the road was expected to be completed and
sealed by Christmas. Delta did a letter drop to households
before starting the repair work, he said.
''Delta regrets the inconvenience this necessary repair work
has caused to residents and is working to complete repairs as
soon as is possible.''
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.