Resealing of roads

Every summer Council undertakes its road resealing work. Roads require resealing for several reasons including when cracks or potholes start to appear, or they become slippery.

The seal on a road is like paint on your house - it keeps water out of the structure underneath. Like paint, the seal breaks down over time and starts to let water in.

When the surface of a road starts to break down it is time to reseal. The ideal time to reseal is just before any damage occurs, so your road may still look to be in good condition. We aim to keep it that way.

Pre-seal repairs

Drainage maintenance and seal repairs are completed by our Maintenance Contractor Rooney Earthmoving prior to the reseal.

Resealing

The resealing will be completed by Fulton Hogan Ltd.

Hot bitumen is sprayed, and stone sealing chips are spread and rolled in.
Excess sealing chips are swept away, and new road marking is painted.
Additional sweeps may follow in the next six months.

Stay safe

For your own safety, the safety of the workmen and to protect the new seal, please observe the speed limit.

Even when there is no activity at the site, if there are warning signs in place, please take care as the carriageway may be prepared for the reseal or the reseal recently completed. The signs will not be removed until the surplus chip has been lifted and the road markings reinstated.

The new seal remains susceptible to damage for many weeks after the reseal. Care is needed to ensure there isn't any sharp turning of heavy vehicles, strong acceleration, etc. as these actions will cause damage to the new seal.

The workers will be doing everything possible to make sure this work is completed safely but you can help by:
standing well back from the action and following any directions from the workers
warning your children of the dangers and making sure they take care
keeping pets away from the area while the work is in progress

Check your shoes

So you don’t trek dirt, bitumen or sticky little stones from the site, avoid walking on recently sealed surfaces. If you can’t avoid it, make sure you check your shoes or take them off before you go inside. You may also want to check them before you get into your car. It would pay to keep your pets inside while the resealing is taking place on your street or road to avoid getting any tar on their paws.

Want to find out more?

For more information about this year's resealing programme, please contact the Roading Team on 03 689 0000 or email roading@waimatedc.govt.nz. These dates may change due to weather or breakdowns.