Summer reseal programme launched in the Far North

A $2.7 million programme to reseal 70 kilometres of roads in the Far North over the summer season will start this month (October). The annual programme is expected to be completed over the next five months.

Householders adjoining roads in urban areas about to be resealed can expect to receive a leaflet from the project contractors, Downer EDI Works, detailing the work and seeking the co-operation of residents before work on their street starts.

"What we don't want is for residents to be taken by surprise and to find that access to their properties is temporarily blocked just at the time when they have an urgent appointment or are rushing to pick up children from school. However it will not be possible to cover every contingency and there may be some temporary inconvenience," council Project Manager Allan Shadbolt said today.

"The advance warning should at least mean people have time to make alternate arrangements and are not get caught out by the works. In the event of a genuine emergency, the contractors if approached will do all they can to get people on their way," he said.

As a precaution, residents should take care to ensure that their vehicles are not left parked on the road berm on the day the resealing is about start.

"This means the contractor can get on with the job, costs are kept down, and people don't return to find their cars have disappeared. We are also asking householders to keep children well back from the reseal operation for their own safety. It is also a good idea to keep any pets locked up or under control while the work is proceeding," he said.

There would be traffic controls in place during and following the works and motorists were asked to comply with the traffic management people and respect any speed warning signs.

"This is not just for the safety of the workers and other motorists, but also to prevent damage to the new surfacing.

"Bitumen is very 'lively' in its early life and can be picked up shoes or on the feet of your pets and can be inadvertently tracked onto your floors. If you have had to cross the resealing on foot, check your shoes before you go inside. It can be fairly readily removed from footware, or from your car, with the careful use of kerosene or mineral turpentine," he said.

Mr Shadbolt said these precautions would be spelt out in the circular to householders, together with a contact number for the contractor.

Resealing could only be carried out when the weather was right and work could be delayed or stopped if conditions were unsuitable.

Road resealing involved applying an overlay of bitumen and sealing chips over an existing sealed road to help waterproof the surface and extend the life of the pavement. The chip size and expected life of the reseal would vary depending on location, traffic loadings and the state of the existing sealed surface.

"As a rule of thumb, we try to make sure reseals are carried out on a 15-year cycle. But because of the variables above, the time frame can be either shorter or longer," he said.