Roading and Footpath Asset Renewals

The condition of roads can impact the safety and comfort of road users, as well as on vehicle operating and maintenance costs.

The average age of the roading network in Horowhenua is 20 years, meaning that 5% of the roading network is resealed every year. Horowhenua District Council recognises that sections of roads deteriorate at different rates due to localised issues such as groundwater, differing materials used in the construction of the roads, hot weather, and many other factors. The useful life of a road is also reduced by high use by heavy vehicles such as truck and trailer units.

Assessing the quality of the road

We use a ‘condition assessment vehicle’ which contains a piece of technology that uses lasers and cameras to assess the quality of the road – to identify areas that have deteriorated at a faster rate.

The information gathered is then reviewed by Council Officers and a renewal shortlist is created. Officers then carry out visual inspections of the roads identified, and the renewal list is finalised for the next five years.

If you have a concern about a pothole then please email enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz.

Footpaths

There are 210 kilometres of footpaths in Horowhenua and the network is added to every year.

Our network is mostly made up of concrete footpaths. However, some of our footpaths are asphalt.

Every year, Council Officers visually inspect 20% of footpaths to check for deterioration, meaning the entire footpath network is visually inspected every five years.

Work areas

Our work is divided into four main areas:

  • Renewal: Areas for renewal are selected following the visual inspection. When replacing footpaths, we try to replace a whole block at any one time as this helps keep the cost down.
  • New footpaths: Council Officers assess where new footpaths should go. They take into account the population of the street, whether a footpath will be used and take people off the road, whether it will connect to an existing footpath or connect a new subdivision to an existing settlement, and/or whether it will allow an existing footpath to be extended to the end of a street.
  • Maintenance: the replacement of short sections of footpaths that have been damaged by tree roots and or heavy vehicles.
  • Minor improvements: allowing for minor improvements of footpaths at intersections aimed at improving safety.

If you have a concern about a footpath that you use, please email enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz.

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