Pukekohe Town Centre: Council Taking Care to Get It Right

Stage Two of the Pukekohe Town Centre upgrade is continuing. Hall Street, Hall Lane, Seddon Lane and Edinburgh Street South are now completed and looking great! The project is taking longer then initially hoped and hasn’t been without its challenges; however Franklin District Council says the extra time will ensure the project is completed to the highest standards.

Further work has been added to the contract by the Pukekohe Town Centre Working Party and Franklin District Council. For example, ducting pipe is being laid to connect with a similar pipe that was put in King Street during Stage One. While the pipe is currently empty, it will provide a secure space for future services that might need to go underground, like broadband fibre. Council has also asked the contractor to upgrade some of the roads so that they match the great new footpaths.

“What we will end up with is a great looking town centre, but that is only half the story. The quality of the underground work and the provision for underground services aren’t as easily seen, but are just as important to the town centre long term,” says Franklin District Council CEO, Sally Davis.

As an example, Ms Davis points out that on Hall Street, a tunnel was discovered under the road which must have existed for many years.

“When work took place under the road over 15 years ago the hole obviously wasn’t filled properly before the road was reinstated. The dirt then compacted down, literally leaving a tunnel underneath the road. We need to fix those issues as we find them and make sure that the work we are doing now will last the distance,” she says.

Edinburgh Street North and Queen St are currently under construction. Work on Edinburgh Lane and King Street remains to be completed and the project should be finalised by early next year.