Roading Network

Grey District Council is responsible for the maintenance and development of the district's roads and related assets. The actual repair work is undertaken by contractors. Roading assets managed by the Council include:

• the road pavement and surfacing
• kerb and channel and other roadside drains
• stormwater sumps (cesspits)
• footpaths
• streetlights
• road signs
• road line-markings
• safety barriers and sight rails
• bridges and culverts
• roadside vegetation

Re-sealing

Road pavements have a life expectancy of between 10-30 years and these deteriorate over time due to the impact of traffic, particularly heavy vehicles, and environmental factors. As the road surface wears and ages, small cracks develop in the pavement which permit water to enter the underlying surface of the pavement. Water infiltration, combined with continual stress imposed by the flow of traffic, will considerably weaken the pavement. If this happens potholes, major cracks, pavement deformation and ultimately road failure will result.

Preventative resealing of the pavement is the most cost effective method of maintaining good road condition. Once a pavement has reached failure condition, or the end of its functional life, resurfacing and remedial maintenance, eg filling potholes becomes less and less effective. At this stage alternative options for rehabilitation or reconstruction of the underlying road layers are considered, eg:

• Strengthening the pavement by asphalt overlay; or
• Reconstruction of the pavement by in place by recycling which involves breaking down (pulverising) existing pavement material, adding stabilising material, re-compaction and resurfacing; or
• Total pavement reconstruction, which involves the removal of existing pavement materials and subsequent rebuilding of the pavement.

At this stage of road reconstruction, safety and road enhancement improvements are also considered. Safety improvements that overcome deficiencies in road geometry and road width are normally justifiable on the basis of reduced accidents and reduced road user costs, ie wear and tear to your vehicle. Road enhancement such as alignment improvements, are implemented if appropriate and effective.

Council has about 350km of sealed roads and about 10% of this total network is re-sealed each year. This is recognised good practice throughout New Zealand. Council has to weigh up each year the priorities for spending. Details of costs are in the Council's Annual Plans and Long Term Plans. You can read these documents on-line in Council Publications or view hard copies at Council offices at 105 Tainui Street.

Reporting faults

Have you noticed a fault around the district? A fault can include any of the following:

• potholes or other road failure
• slips or dropouts
• fallen trees
• spills or rubbish on the road
• blocked drains or culverts
• guardrail or bridge damage
• glass or debris on the road
• damaged signs
• broken footpath
• graffiti
• streetlights not working

If you have seen any of these or other issues, then we want to know about it. Please report the fault to the Transport and Infrastructure Department, email infrastructure@greydc.govt.nz or phone 03 769 8611.

Road safety

Council wants its roading network to be safe to travel on. If you have any safety concerns about any part of the road network, please let the Transport and Infrastructure Department know. Your concerns may be related to:

• poor visibility along the road
• sudden sharp curves in the road
• the way a contractor is operating
• the standard of repair being undertaken
• stock on the road
• slippery road surface
• improved signage required

State highways

Please note that the Council is not responsible for the state highways that run through the Grey District. If you have any concerns relating to a state highway, please contact the New Zealand Transport Agency directly.