Roundabout work starts

On Monday [April 15], Masterton District Council [MDC] will start road works on the Ngaumutawa Rd and Renall St roundabout that will continue for two weeks.

An MDC spokesperson said the work is essential, and traffic diversions will take place during this time.

“The job will entirely close a lane of Ngaumutawa Rd for a week at a time, necessitating several diversions using Pownall St, Cornwall Rd, Akura Rd, Kibblewhite Rd, Upper Plain Rd, and Chamberlain Rd,” the spokesperson said.

“The work involves removing about 300mm of the road surface, effectively down to bare earth, and first constructing a new base for the seal, followed by subsequent layering of new road seal. The site will remain closed to traffic overnight.”

The work is being aligned with the school holidays as the route is often busy with school day traffic.

The project’s first phase will focus on the southbound side of the roundabout.

Work on the northbound lane is scheduled to start on April 22, when the southbound lane will reopen.

“The roundabout surface has reached its end-of-life point, and regular users will have noticed the deterioration,” MDC roading services manager Kaine Jaquiery said.

“It’s about 30 years since this work was last carried out.”

The work will cost around $450,000, with a 56 per cent subsidy provided by the New Zealand Transport Agency.

“Following the completion of the roundabout, work will be carried out on resealing the section of Renall St from the roundabout to College St, taking about a week.”

This work will cost around $140,000 – again with a 56 per cent subsidy from NZTA – and the road will be open to residents when work is not underway.