Waikato Expressway pothole v car at 110kph leaves motorist fuming

Wednesday, 13 July 2022

Damage to a motorist’s wheel was caused by a large pothole in the Waikato Expressway near Hampton Downs in July.

A pricey and potentially dangerous collision with a pothole has a Hamilton couple questioning the quality of one of the country’s supposedly main roads.

The trip from Hamilton to Auckland took an unexpected and frustrating bump for Sarn Murray and David Johnstone.

The couple were driving their Lexus on the 110kph gazetted Waikato Expressway near Hampton Downs racetrack when they drove over a pothole before 8am on Wednesday morning.

“We were doing about 110km, so I am not sure [how big it was] but if a motorbike hit it they would probably come off.

“It’s flatten my mag, so it’s obviously a reasonably sized hole,” Johnstone said.

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Johnstone said it’s pretty frustrating.

The road north of Hampton Downs had a large pothole which damaged the David Johnstone's car tyre on Wednesday morning.

“Especially since I am guessing they did a road survey because it has just opened up at 110km.”

He said some kind of compensation from Waka Kotahi would be ideal.

“I was just driving the car, I was doing the speed limit, I was doing nothing wrong, and it’s meant to be a new road, so I wasn’t expecting that.”

As the couple drove past they saw someone else on the side of the road changing a tyre and presumed they had also gone through the pothole before them.

They have contacted Waka Kotahi.

A Hamilton tyre repair business, which declined to be named, said they had three or four people in the last week contact them for repairs after hitting a pothole while travelling between Hamilton and Auckland.

Waka Kotahi Auckland system manager Paul Geck said they were aware of the pothole, and it was programmed for repair on Wednesday.

”Potholes are more common in the wetter, winter months. Our crews have been working around the clock to repair damage to the network as a result of the recent severe weather. We're hoping the rain will clear to allow us to complete more effective repairs.”

Temporary repairs are carried out during winter, followed by permanent repairs in summer.

He said drivers are expected to drive to the local conditions and recognise that conditions may vary along a stretch of road.

“It is also expected that drivers have insurance for their vehicles in the event of any damage that may occur on the road, and their insurer should be their first point of contact where any damage has occurred. Therefore, Waka Kotahi is not normally responsible for damage that may occur to a vehicle while driving a state highway.”

If motorists claim the road’s condition caused the damage to a vehicle Waka Kotahi will investigate to see if there is any exceptional circumstance which may trigger further obligations.

In the financial year 2020/2021 Waka Kotahi repaired approximately 99,500 potholes on state highways nationwide.

Motorists are urged to call 0800 44 44 49 if they spot potholes or other problems during heavy rain.