Contractors strike softer than expected ground at Ashburton intersection project

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
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There is further unexpected disruption from soft ground at the Walnut Avenue upgrade project in Ashburton.

A section of Walnut Ave, from State Highway 1 to 135 Walnut Ave, will be closed this week so a temporary seal can be dug up and reconstructed as part of the $10.6 million intersection upgrade project.

A Waka Kotahi spokesperson said that when contractors dug up the old pavement last Wednesday night to expose the existing ground underneath, the ground conditions were very soft.

“This meant we had to change our pavement construction methods and dig a lot deeper to prepare the ground for new pavement.

“While we do this, it is not safe to keep the road open, so we asked for an urgent closure of Walnut Ave to minimise the disruption and get the additional work done as quickly as possible.

“We dug multiple test pits during planning, but we are finding the existing ground conditions are very inconsistent in this area.”

The surface that was applied on Walnut Ave was temporary only they said, and was put in place to enable the road to take short-term traffic on Thursday while a plan and traffic management to close this stretch of road was confirmed.

The section of the project was closed to traffic on Friday morning.

“We think the seven-day closure is the worst-case scenario, and we are hoping it won’t take that long."

The roundabouts at the intersections of West St (SH1) and East St with Walnut Ave are being replaced with traffic signals and an improved rail crossing.

The funding allocation for the specific project is $15m, including contingencies, but is projected to cost about $10.5m and be completed by the end of the year.