State Highway 2, Chapel St Masterton, is in for a major rehabilitation after being plagued for years by potholes.
Waka Kotahi NZTA will close down Chapel St for two weekends from outside the Times-Age to the Lincoln Rd roundabout to fully excavate and reconstruct the road.
Similar works are planned for a second bad stretch outside the Warehouse, but the date for those works is still to be set.
Waka Kotahi Wellington regional manager Mark Owen said the work needed full road closures from 8pm Friday until 6am Monday on the weekends starting June 9 and June 16.
“We’re timing this work for weekends to minimise disruption and to get as much work done as quickly as possible; full closures let our contractors get the job done much more quickly, efficiently, and safely,” Owen said.
“If we tried to do work like this during the day with traffic management, it would take weeks to complete, and that’s a headache drivers, residents, and local businesses don’t need.”
Owen previously told the Times-Age that Wairarapa roads had a weakened base because of a high water table.
He said Chapel St had numerous surface repairs since 2005 and needed this major reconstruction to be stable long-term.
Contractors will excavate to a depth of 400mm, pour a new concrete foundation, and then lay structural asphalt on top.
“What we’re doing is building a raft that will sit on top of the underlying alluvial substrate,” he said.
“It’ll make the road much stronger and less prone to potholes and traffic damage.”
The work will be done one lane per weekend, so between the week between sessions, one lane of Chapel St will be new, and one will be old.
Both footpaths and access to the Z Service station will remain open throughout, but the Masterton Mall parking building will not be accessible.
