30 May 2007

Major stormwater upgrade will solve significant flooding problems

Work will start next week on one of the Kapiti Coast District Council’s most significant stormwater management projects to address flooding issues first raised by the 1998 floods.

“This is the second part of the programme to manage stormwater in extreme weather events in the town centre area,” Mayor Alan Milne said. “The first was the construction of the Rimu Road bridge with its greatly enhanced stormwater management capability.”

The project will increase the capacity of the open channel system and mitigate flooding around the Ihakara Street and Rimu Road area.

The works include a culvert upgrade across Rimu Road, just south of the former Jack Motors; the construction of a flood protection wall on the northern boundary of the industrial area / south side of the open field that is town centre land; and a flood protection wall and channel along the Jack Motors / Manawa Avenue park boundary.

The open channel alongside the Telstra Clear building has already been upgraded. Site access for the works will be via the Manawa Avenue Park and on Rimu Road opposite the Pak n Save Service Station.

These works will start on Tuesday June 5 2007, should take approximately 12 weeks and are budgeted to cost $750,000.

“This is significant expenditure in anyone’s terms,” Council Chief Executive Leigh Halstead said, “and it’s just one of a range of projects, such as the new $1 million Emergency Operations Centre, where the Council is currently working to build a more resilient community.”

Motorists can expect some minor traffic disruption in the Rimu Road area as material is trucked out from Rimu Road and the park in Manawa Avenue. Every effort will be made to minimise the disruption on one of Kapiti’s busiest thoroughfares.

The spoil from the site is mainly peat and that will be put to use elsewhere in the district.

The Manawa Avenue Park will remain open during the works but will have restricted pedestrian areas; the playground equipment will still be available for use.

The work needed to replace the culvert under Rimu Road will cause some disruption but the road will remain open with two lanes available during working hours. The major works required to install the culvert will be undertaken in the evenings outside peak traffic times.

These works will not affect any of the area of Rimu Road and Ihakara Street that was resealed recently. To minimise disruption the Ihakara/Rimu Road intersection work had to be completed first.

ENDS

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