Stephen Road to be strengthened and resurfaced in September

A section of Stephen Road will be strengthened and resealed, with works scheduled to commence in September.

Stephen Road is narrow and its current sealed width is variable, meaning large vehicles can only pass by pulling onto the soft roadside verge. The aim of this project is to improve the road pavement strength of the 1.1-kilometre section of the road between the intersection of McKenna Road and the eastern side of Scott’s Bridge.

Group Manager Infrastructure Services Anthony Blom says: “The road was last sealed in 2006, and the existing seal has now reached the end of its serviceable life, leaving it prone to pavement failures. Strengthening the surface beneath the seal will reduce ongoing maintenance requirements.

“Within the existing road corridor, the current nominal 5.8 m road width will be modified to provide two three-metre-wide lanes, with a 0.2 m sealed shoulder on each side. The roadbed will be strengthened by building up the existing road thickness, and then overlaid with seal, allowing it to better accommodate expected vehicle loads.”

Local contractor WestReef Services Limited has been awarded the contract for this work, with funding provided through NZTA - Waka Kotahi’s National Land Transport Programme 2024-27 rehabilitation program. NZTA’s contribution is based on the 75% funding assistance rate for local roads, meaning it will provide $622,500 of the of the overall budgeted cost of $830,000, with Buller District Council (BDC) contributing the remaining $207,500.

“The planned completion of this work is early December 2026. It is expected that single-lane access will be available on Stephen Road during construction, with alternative routes around the work site also available for the duration of the project” continues Mr Blom.

A short section of Stephen Road, between McKenna Road and Excelsior Road may be subject to a road closure during the works - a detour will be provided.

The completion of this rehabilitation work by BDC will not impede any later flood protection projects conducted by the West Coast Regional Council.

-ENDS-

For further information please contact:
Community Engagement Team Buller District Council
Media.Enquiries@bdc.govt.nz

Disclaimer
The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.