Billions To Fix Roads Says Mayor
Written by John Freer on May 1, 2023
By John Freer
Fixing roads around the Coromandel Peninsula is going to cost billions of dollars.
Mayor Len Salt yesterday said this was the investment required to get roads to where they were resilient and appropriate to provide confidence to business and visitors to the region.
CFM interviewed the mayor as the region was experiencing another storm with hillsides giving away and closing both state highways and council roads.
Len said the immediate need was for $500 million or half a billion dollars which his council had laid out to the various Government Ministers and their departments.
He said it was an investment that he was not shy about.
The mayor also discussed the reason for not supporting a bypass being used to get traffic flowing on SH25A.
He said he was confident there was no viable short-term solution and that the repair decision would be known in two weeks.
Click on the link below to listen to the full interview.
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Graham Carrick On May 2, 2023 at 6:36 am
It would be very helpful, and would greatly help manage expectations, if Waka Kotahi (and the Mayor) would put some defined timeframes as to when SH25A would be completed. The “we understand the frustration, working as hard as we can” lines are wearing thin without a public decision or timeframe as to when the road will be repaired. And still no update on when Tapu – Coroglen road will be fixed either.
Maree Smith On May 2, 2023 at 8:21 am
As a current resident and a business owner in Tairua, it is ESSENTIAL that consideration to a bypass is actioned. It is my understanding a viable proposal has been presented. I would also like to propose as I have done so to our Mayor that a public meeting with himself, the CEO of Waka Kotahi and the “Advisory Group” be actioned here in Tairua to enable us here to seek clarification directly and present our concerns. Travelling to Thames is not possible nor viable for a large percentage of the residents and business owners.