Peka Peka to Ōtaki expressway gets hush treatment

Sunday, 12 August 2018

A view of Peka Peka to Ōtaki expressway works underway south of the Ōtaki River, looking south.

The Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway is being jazzed-up to turn the volume down.

New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) confirmed late last week it would use special noise-cancelling asphalt to the State Highway 1 road.

Kapiti Mayor K (Guru) Gurunathan says locals approve of the new seal but it would cost.

While the measure has been labelled a 'very expensive solution' by local mayor K Gurunathan, NZTA said the cost would be covered in the project's existing $330 million budget.

Work is already underway on the stretch of expressway which is due to open in 2020 - the same year as the $850m Transmission Gully route opens further south.

Ōtaki man Derek Kelly, pictured with his wife Hanna Isaac, and children Pearl, left, and Augie, is delighted with NZTA using the noise-reducing seal.

Map showing the Peka Peka to Ōtaki expressway alignment through Ōtaki.

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NZTA's Chris Hunt announced it would upgrade the surface of the Peka Peka to Ōtaki stretch from chipseal to the open-graded porous asphalt (OGPA).

The new asphalt needed less maintenance and was quieter, he said.

'As with most major roading projects, chip seal will be put down for the first 12 months to allow the surface to bed-in, enhance waterproofing, and help reduce the risk of early surface failures.

'Following that 12-month bedding-in period, the OGPA will then be applied.

'The decision to upgrade the road surface was an evidence-based decision based on sound technical advice, but I also want to acknowledge those in the community who have strongly advocated for this.'

Further south, safety measure 'rumble strips' on the expressway near Raumati kept residents awake and were later partly removed due to complaints.

NZTA on Sunday confirmed rumble strips would be installed on the Ōtaki to Peka Peka stretch but their scope was still to be confirmed and noise issues would be considered.

Kapiti Coast Mayor K Gurunathan understood the OGPA system was a 'very expensive solution' but one wanted by nearby residents.

Because the chip seal would be used for the first 12 months, there would be a lot of noise initially, but residents accepted this.

He understood NZTA had been too hasty in adding the OGPA further south - and this led to problems with the seal.

Ōtaki resident Derek Kelly said NZTA's decision was a 'big win' and followed a lot of lobbying from the local community

'It's massively-big for this community.'

NZTA had planned to only use the noise-reduction seal on a short stretch, meaning much of the road, going past shops and homes, would have to deal with the noisier seal.

The difference between the two seals was 'vast' - both for those nearby and for people in cars, he said.