Te Henga Bethells Beach and Waitākere community - road repair updates Te Henga Bethells Beach and Waitākere community - road repair updates

Bethells beach washout, Bethells

Background

• AT is working with Fulton Hogan to repair the road, which has sustained a significant amount of damage from Cyclone Gabrielle.
• Multiple slips have occurred on Bethells Road and a large section of road has washed away towards the beach end.
• Bethells Road from the intersection of Te Henga Road is now fully closed with resident only access

 These restrictions remain in place:

• Public access to Bethells Beach is temporarily closed to the public as it is deemed unsafe.
• Bethells Road is closed from the Bethells Road/Te Henga Road intersection with access to residents only past this point.
• Traffic control and signage is in place notifying people of the road closure and no beach/lake access.
• Please adhere to this. We need to minimise as much traffic on Bethells Road as possible to ensure no further damage is caused to the already fragile road. It will allow the contractor space to complete the works as quick as possible.
• Lake Wainamu carpark is closed as well as access to Lake Wainamu, Sand dunes and Te Henga Walkways. Both walkways have significant damage and use of the sand dunes for recreation is not permitted.

Drive with caution

• There will be a lot of trucks moving along Bethells Road during construction
• Reduce your speed and stay to the left as much as possible.
• Due to the size of our trucks, they will have no choice but to cross the centre line in some places.
• This applies to residents of Bethells Beach and those who are using Bethells Road to get to and from surrounding areas including Scenic Drive, Anawhata & Piha.
• Works will be ongoing till completed and are weather dependant

31 March 2023

School bus access into and out of Te Henga Bethells Beach from Monday 3 April:

We’re pleased to advise that after consultation with Ritchies and Fulton Hogan, School buses will now have access into and out of Te Henga Bethells Beach from Monday 3 April.

We understand this has been a frustrating time for the community with damaged roads from the Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle,  and we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to find a solution, whilst also ensuring the safety of tamariki and the driver on board.

We’ll continue to monitor the slips on Bethells Road, especially after it rains, which may require us to halt buses temporarily while we ensure the road remains safe for all road users.

We’ll keep you updated on any further changes and we want to thank the Te Henga Bethells Beach community for their patience.

7 March 2023

Hydroseeding the sand embankment by the washout repair is planned (a technique that spreads a specialized grass mixture evenly over bare ground to grow grass and prevent soil erosion).

• Scour protection work (to prevent erosion of soil surrounding the foundations of the bridge) is planned for later this week.
• We’ll do a re-assessment of sand removal under the bridge to see if we need the vacuum truck again.
• As work is still ongoing, the road will stay closed to residents only.

6 March 2023

Odd jobs to be completed including removing piles of sand at Lake Wainamu carpark and roadside

4 March 2023

Chipseal at the washout repair is now complete

Road surface marking  (painting lines on the road) is scheduled for later this week, once the site has been swept

• Thanks to the local Bethells Beach community for the hospitality and BBQ on Saturday. The Fulton Hogan team appreciated it
• Waiti Stream bridge: Continued removing sand underneath with two trucks working on site. One with a vacuum, and the other using high pressure water to free up and loosen the large amount of tree debris.

3 March 2023

• It’s been another busy day. The crew have positioned the last of the boulders, plus road pavement aggregate (eg sand, gravel and crushed stone), and all should be in place by the end of today.
• We’ve had a large vacuum truck working to remove the sand and debris at Waiti Stream Bridge. It’s been a gradual as tree debris has slowed the process.
• Saturday 4 March is expected to be another busy day. We’ll be sealing the washout repair, sweeping the road of the remaining sand and also continuing with sand removal under the bridge
• The team will be back next week and will continue with a range of other work
• As work is still ongoing, the road will stay closed to residents only

3-4 March 2023

We’ll be working around the Waiti Stream Bridge (one-way bridge near Lake Wainamu Carpark) and remove the excess build-up of sand under the bridge, as result of Cyclone Gabrielle.

• Work will likely continue into next week which will mean the road will stay closed to residents only.

2 March 2023

• Things are starting to take shape with most of the large boulders now in place.
• Today we ran in the remaining boulders and made a start with placing and compacting road pavement metal. This will be built up in layers to the final finish height
• We’ll continue this on Friday 3 March with sealing booked for Saturday 4 March.
• We’ve also taken the opportunity to place additional boulders to the previous washout repair, which will provide added protection.

27 February 2023 

We’ve continued running in the large boulders and riprap to build up the base and edge protection. We hope to be at a height where we can switch to running in pavement aggregate about Wednesday 1 March, then all going well, seal the job at the end of this week. 

26 February 2023

The crew worked to clear the sand from Lake Wainamu Carpark.

25 February 2023

We continued to run in boulders and rip rap (a layer of large stones to protect soil from erosion in areas of high flow) until we ran out of stock in the stockpile. This is being stocked up today, Monday 27 February.

24 February 2023

• The team had good progress today albeit a bit wet, but have run in over 600 tonnes so far of the large 1 metre boulders and the smaller gabion rock.
• We will be working through the weekend, here’s hoping for some fine weather.
• The road is now fully closed to all traffic near the washout, residents near the Beach end included

23 February 2023

On-site meeting to discuss the upcoming washout repair, community concerns and community communications in regards to repair updates

AT & Fulton Hogan met with Waitākere Ranges Local board Mark Allen and members of the Bethells Emergency Response Group and Bethells Valley Fire Service

22 February 2023

The roads around Te Henga Bethells Beach have sustained a significant amount of damage as result of Cyclone Gabrielle. Multiple slips have occurred on Bethells Road and a large section of road has washed away near to the beach.

• We carried out works yesterday clearing some of the overslips on Bethells Road. These had reduced the road width. The underslip at Miti’s point has had an asphalt bund installed as well as being covered in polythene sheeting. This is to try and minimise any further damage / slip occurring
• We continued today with clearing the significant amount of sand that is in the Lake Wainamu Carpark and on Bethells Road. We also started works on the washout repair by creating a ramp and bench for us to continue the repair works. Our 14 tonne excavator arrives later in the day which will speed up works going forward.
• The road is now fully closed to all traffic, residents included.
• Tomorrow Thu 23 February, we have some remaining work to do clearing sand from Lake Wainamu carpark. We will also continue excavating and running in boulders to start building up the base of the road and edge protection.
• Lake Wainamu carpark will be used as a turnaround point for trucks. All residential vehicles need to be cleared from that area.
• There will be a lot of truck movements along Bethells Road whilst construction is ongoing. Drive with caution, reduce your speed and stay to the left as much as possible. Due to the size of our trucks, they will have no choice to cross the centre line in some places.
• Works will be ongoing till completed but dependant on fine weather so works can be completed without delay.

17 February 2023

• We’ve closed access to Bethells Beach until further notice, including from Te Henga Road intersection
• This is now resident and emergency services access only.
• We’re investigating the repair of the road washout and need to carry out assessments
• This includes checking stability for fully loaded trucks to be able drive through the slip site & potential measures to prevent it from worsening.
• We’re installing signs advising of the road closure.
• The road is unsafe for driving and walking.
• Do not visit family or friends in this area or go sightseeing – this causes safety risks.
• This adds additional pressure to the community and puts already vulnerable roads under stress.
• Ngā mihi for your cooperation

Crews have completed the slips on Waitakere Road. Arborists are on site today clearing trees and vegetation. The Fulton Hogan support crew is continuing to clear the smaller slips along Bethells Road.

The slip at 89 Bethells Road has been cleared and we are continuing to work our way through the other slips.

Bethells Road (near Steam Hauler Track), Bethells

10 March 2023

Open – Resident only access

Initial Geotech assessment completed

No public access to Lake Wainamu, Sand dunes, Bethells Beach & Te Henga walkways

154 Bethells Road (near Lake Wainamu carpark), Waitākere

31 March 2023

Open – Resident only access.

Initial Geotech assessment completed.

No public access to Lake Wainamu, Sand dunes, Bethells Beach & Te Henga walkways.

10 March 2023

There are a number of slips on Bethells Road.

School Bus access into and out of Te Henga Bethells Beach from Monday 3 April.

Caton Road, Waitākere

19 May 2023

A few updates for residents of Caton Road & Mokoroa Valley Road.

Access restrictions apply

Due to the nature of the damage, and whilst we research the depth of the damage for permanent repairs, access is restricted for safety reasons through this section of the road as follows:

• Access is from either side of the slip, during daylight hours only approx 7am-7pm, with staff controlling the traffic management
• Only 1 vehicle at a time
• A weight limit of 3 Tonnes applies i.e. up to a large ute or SUV

We will be doing further geo-tech drilling to assess in a few weeks’ time & will give at least 48 hours notice for this work.

The work we’ve been doing

We know that safe access to your homes is important, so in order to restore access we have:

• Completed drainage work
• Restored the road for temporary access for light vehicles
• Planned geo-tech assessments for the permanent repair of the road

What happens next

We’re working hard to get the permanent repair underway for this section of Caton Road, but due to the extent of the damage, it’s likely to take 9-12 months to start repairs and limited access will apply until then.

We understand this is a stressful situation for residents and we’ll continue to monitor the site, especially after heavy rain.

If there are any changes to the restrictions we'll let you know.

16 May 2023

There is a further update on Caton Road.

Due to a delay in the arrival of materials, temporary repairs and drainage work will now start on Monday 15 May.

We’re still planning to open the road from Tuesday 16 May, with limited access under traffic management.

This a reminder that Caton Road is still fully closed at the slip site (from the intersection of Wairere Road) until Tuesday 16 May.

The following restrictions will apply from Tuesday 16 May:

• Access is from either side of the slip, during daylight hours only, with staff controlling the traffic management.
• Only 1 vehicle at a time.
• A weight limit of 3 Tonnes applies i.e. up to a large ute or SUV.

We’re working hard to get the permanent repair underway for this section of Caton Road, but due to the extent of the damage, it’s likely to take up to 6 months to start repairs and limited access will apply until then.

12 May 2023

We'd like to remind the community that Caton Road is still fully closed at the slip site (from the intersection of Wairere Road) until Tuesday 16th May.

We’re planning to open the road from Tuesday 16 May, with limited access under traffic management.

The following restrictions apply:

• Access is from either side of the slip, during daylight hours only, with staff controlling the traffic management.
• Only 1 vehicle at a time.
• A weight limit of 3 Tonnes applies i.e. up to a large ute or SUV.

Temporary repair work and drainage work will take place over the weekend.

We’re working hard to get the permanent repair underway for this section of Caton Road, but due to the extent of the damage, it’s likely to take up to 6 months to start repairs and limited access will apply until then.

19 February 2023

We have managed to establish a temporary road to enable access to the 100 isolated residents.

16 February 2023

Late yesterday we were advised Caton Road underslip that affected one lane has moved further.

The road is now impassable isolating 100 households. All have been evacuated. Ventia is assessing the site today to determine whether we can establish a temporary road to enable access.

15 February 2023

Caton Road has an underslip and people were evacuated yesterday afternoon/evening.

Traffic management was put in place late yesterday and Ventia is assessing the situation today.

Our major priority continues to be providing a minimum of one-lane access to people’s properties.

The two highest priority slips today are getting Karekare open and investigating Caton Road and seeing if there are any options to stabilize the under slip to get resident access.

Kay Road, Waitākere

10 March 2023

Closed - Residents & Emergency services access only from Waitākere Road end.

Finalising Geotech to start remedial design.

17 February 2023

Full closure.

74 Te Henga Road, Waitākere

10 March 2023

Open – Resident only access.

Initial Geotech assessment completed.

No public access to Lake Wainamu, sand dunes, Bethells Beach & Te Henga walkways.

Wairere Road, Waitākere

10 March 2023

Open – under the following restrictions.

Traffic management & reduced speed signs in place to 30km/h. Buses & heavy vehicles can use but must travel at a slow speed.

Initial Geotech assessment completed.

No public access to Lake Wainamu, sand dunes, Bethells Beach & Te Henga walkways.

Waitākere Road Bridge, Waitākere

12 April 2023

Underpass closed at the Intersection of Waitākere Road & Bethells Road.

Initial Geotech assessment completed.

Extra crossing signs and Hit sticks have been installed on the approach to Bethells Road from Waitakere Road (Township end) for visibility and to improve safety.

We're working with Waitākere Primary School on alternative options for crossing safely.

The speed limit has been lowered from 1 April 2023 to 60km/hr near the intersection (between 190m north of Bethells Road and 220m south of Township Road).

Pictures of the initial extra signs and hit sticks that were installed in February are below.