Railway Road rebuild one of several major upgrades in Palmerston North
Published on 28 August 2024
Palmy residents might want to factor more time into their commute or school run, with several major water and roading upgrades starting in Palmerston North in September.
Key projects include upgrading another section of Railway Road from Francis Way to Tremaine Avenue, constructing a bridge on Amberley Avenue, and water upgrades on Victoria Avenue and at the intersection of Tremaine Avenue and North Street. Stormwater upgrades are also ongoing on Ruahine Street.
Council’s Infrastructure General Manager Chris Dyhrberg says these projects reflect our commitment to investing in and maintaining our city’s vital infrastructure and they are crucial to ensuring our services continue to meet the needs of our growing city.
Railway Road rebuild phase 2 to get underway
Fulton Hogan is starting the next phase of the rebuild on Railway Road in mid-September. They expect to be finished by November.
The first phase was completed from the rail bridge to Francis Way earlier in the year. The upcoming phase will extend from Francis Way to just past the Bunnings entrance, divided into three stages, each lasting about three weeks.
Mr Dyhrberg says we are using a new construction technique to speed up construction and improve the resilience of Railway Road that involves rebuilding it with concrete instead of compacting loose metal. We can do this on Railway Road as most of the underground services are under the footpath rather than under the road.
“This approach allows us to close the road and complete the rebuild more quickly. It also means the road will be more resilient and able to cope with the increasing traffic volumes and weights we are expecting over the next 30 years.”
Minor work that will ensure people can access some of the businesses during construction will start on Monday 2 September. This will take two weeks and involves removing fences, installing gates, and carrying out minor resurfacing at specific entrances to businesses that require temporary access arrangements once the main road rebuild begins. This enabling work does not require road closures, but there may be minor shoulder closures in certain areas.
The main road rebuild will start on Monday 16 September in three stages. The first stage will begin near Robertson Isuzu and progress towards Bunnings.
During the construction period, there will be limited access on Railway Road from Tremaine Avenue. A 24/7 road closure from Bunnings to Francis Way will be in place for the duration of construction, with a detour via Armstrong Street and Francis Way for traffic getting to and from Tremaine Avenue. Only vehicles accessing businesses on Railway Road will be allowed to enter the road closure from the Tremaine Avenue traffic lights. Traffic management staff will be present at both ends of the road closure to assist with vehicle access.
We’ve worked with businesses in the area to determine access during construction. The main entrance to Bunnings on Railway Road will be closed during construction. Customers will need to use the Bunnings entrance on Tremaine Avenue during this period. People going to City Fitness, Placemakers, Citi-Box, Robertson Isuzu, and Carousel Confectionery will need to use the detour on Armstrong Street and Francis Way to access their destinations if travelling from Tremaine Avenue. We’ve providing information to businesses to share with their customers.
The total cost of construction for phase 2 of the Railway Road rebuild is $1.8 million.
Victoria Avenue wastewater upgrade commencing
Our water team is upgrading the wastewater network on Victoria Avenue from Manapouri Crescent, opposite Milverton Park, to Main Street.
This project will start on Monday 2 September and is expected to be completed by Christmas. It involves installing larger pipes to manage city growth and increasing wastewater flows.
The team will start at Manapouri Street and progress gradually toward Main Street, with most work conducted while keeping the road operational to one lane. The lane heading into the city will remain open. Detours will be in place for the lane heading towards the Manawatū River. Vehicle speeds will be reduced to 30 km/h. A brief closure across the Ferguson/Victoria roundabout will occur for a day or two to install pipes across the road. Detours will be in place when this happens. The Church Street roundabout was completed last year when pipes were upgraded in that area.
The total cost of the upgrade on Victoria Avenue is $860,000.
Tremaine Avenue water connection is being completed
Our water team is finishing a water upgrade on North Street by installing a new connection across the intersection with Tremaine Street. This will take place over three or four days from Tuesday 3 September.
One lane of traffic will remain open on Tremaine Ave, with a detour in place for southbound vehicles traveling from the Hospital end towards Coronation Park. These vehicles will be redirected down Roy Street.
The water upgrade on North Street has been ongoing for the past few months, with a total construction cost of $400,000.
Other roading updates
Temporarily reduced speed limit on Stoney Creek Road
We’ve temporarily reduced the speed limit on Stoney Creek Road to 70km/h for safety reasons. Upgrading the road, from Whakarongo School to Kelvin Grove Road, is in our Long Term Plan. Design work is being completed this year. Our plan is to go out for tender and construction in 2025/2026. In the meantime, we’ll continue to address any potholes and pavement failures as they present themselves. Please continue to report these by contacting our call centre on 06 356 8199.
Amberley Avenue bridge construction starting in September
Contractor Emmetts Civil Construction will be starting construction of a new bridge on Amberley Avenue, between Pencarrow Street and Caroline Crescent, on Monday 2 September.
The bridge is expected to be finished in early-2024. During this time, detour routes will redirect vehicles down Pencarrow Street and Clarke Avenue as there will be no through-traffic on Amberley Avenue at the bridge. Pedestrian access across the bridge will be closed 24/7 during the construction period.
Construction was expected to start in July, however, this was delayed as we awaited resource consent from Horizons Regional Council.
Ruahine Street stormwater upgrade ongoing
We are now on stage 2 of the stormwater upgrade on Ruahine Street. We have completed the section from Newcastle to Swansea Street. We’re now doing the section from Newcastle Street to the river car park.
During this section, Ruahine Street is closed at the worksite during working hours, from 7am to 5pm. While there will be no through-traffic on Ruahine Street during the day, the street will return to normal each night. Speeds will be reduced to 30 km/h. Vehicles will be able to turn left onto Ruahine Street from Newcastle Street.
The final stage will be Swansea Street to Linmor Place, which we’re planning to start in late-September/early-October. We are still on track to have the project completed by Christmas. Our team leader is onsite weekly at 1pm on Thursdays for about one hour if you would like to come and have a chat or ask any questions.