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Disruptions around a busy Pukekohe road will continue as Watercare runs into challenges with its installation of a new four-kilometre pipeline.
Sections of the pipeline are being installed near the Pukekohe Train Station – and are part of a $98.2 million programme that also includes a larger wastewater pump station on Isabella Drive, Pukekohe North.
Watercare senior project manager Stephan Morkel told the Franklin Times that the completion dates for both sites of the wastewater pipeline installation on Station Road have been extended beyond the original end-of-July timeframe.
“Site one, which is currently underway outside Pukekohe Station, is now expected to be completed by mid-August. Site two, further south on Station Road near the Subway Road intersection, is expected to be completed by the end of September.
“Once work on site two is complete, a third site will be established on Station Road, connecting the recently installed pipelines at site one and two.”
Station Road is a key access point and on-road parking site for commuters and the nearby industrial area. Traffic has been particularly bad during school drop-off and pick-up times, with vehicles backed up along East Street to the Golding Street/Pukekohe East Road/Belgium Street roundabout. In Buckland, the Logan Road/George Street intersection is also experiencing higher traffic volumes, particularly trucks, with the added complication of the adjacent level railway crossing.
Are you affected by the extension to the Station Road closures? Email editor@franklintimes.co.nz.
“We know this extension will be disappointing for people who use the area, and we appreciate the patience and understanding shown by commuters, residents and local businesses while this important work continues,” Morkel says.
“The revised timeframe is due to unforeseen ground conditions, including peat soils, high groundwater levels and the need for additional geotechnical assessments. These conditions have made construction more complex and have slowed progress.”
Watercare continues to work closely with Auckland Transport throughout the project to minimise disruption as much as possible and keep people moving safely through the area while construction continues, he says.
To help reduce the impact on commuters, alternative parking at the Pukekohe Showgrounds will remain available until the work is complete. The alternative parking area can be accessed via Subway Road and the northern end of Station Road.
This work is being delivered alongside the $17 million Jutland Road wastewater diversion project on Ward Street. Together, these projects will help improve capacity and network performance while reducing the risk of overflows.
The new Pukekohe North pump station will have a capacity of 480 litres per second, increasing the network’s ability to manage higher volumes of wastewater, Watercare says.
“These upgrades are an important investment in the area’s wastewater infrastructure and will help support Pukekohe’s growing community for years to come.”
