Eight cattle died and two people were injured when a truck crashed on a stretch of road near Ashburton that was due to be repaired on the same week.
A transport industry spokesperson said the road had “severe potholing” and its poor road surface contributed to the crash.
The livestock truck and trailer rolled on Beach Road around 6.40pm on April 20.
Eight cattle were either killed in the crash or later euthanised, while one person suffered moderate injuries and another minor injuries.
Ashburton District Council infrastructure group manager Neil McCann said the council was aware of the road’s poor condition, but repairs planned for that week had to be delayed due to bad weather.
“This is why we erected warning signs and included a 55kph advisory speed limit,” McCann said.
Temporary repairs of Beach Road are underway this week, and they “will hold the surface until a full rehabilitation can occur next summer”.
Transporting New Zealand industry advisor Jim Crouchley said the road surface was identified as a significant contributing factor after he spoke with the truck owner following the crash.
“A site visit undertaken the following morning highlighted a number of areas of concern,” Crouchley said.
“The road surface showed evidence of severe potholing, areas of subsidence leading to ridging that would clearly affect vehicle steering, and sections of smooth, almost polished surfaces that in wet conditions would certainly affect traction.”
Crouchley said he also received calls from several transport operators raising concerns about Beach Rd, with some suggesting heavy vehicle use had increased due to ongoing roadworks on Seafield Rd, the main access to the ANZCO Foods processing plant.
“They were extremely frustrated that the Seafield Rd repairs had taken so long,” he said.
McCann said Seafield Rd had now been sealed and was due to open to traffic on Thursday.
Crouchley said Beach Rd was not the only concern, with similar surface issues reported on parts of Maronan Rd, State Highway 72, and Tinwald–Mayfield–Westerfield Rd.
“In some cases, drivers have reported that even under just engine braking, trucks were losing traction,” he said.
He urged the council to “urgently address these issues as soon as possible”.
McCann said the section of Beach Road East was water cut (using high-pressure water jets to remove excess bitumen from the road surface to restore texture) last winter to improve traction, and sections either side of the crash site were rebuilt last year.
“Ideally, we would have done full reconstruction on Beach Road and other roads in similar condition, however, our road maintenance budget is limited, so we can only address the worst sections.
“We empathise with those affected by the recent incident and want road users to know that remedial work is already underway.
““The full rehabilitation scheduled next summer will include strengthening the road base and sealing it, and that work should last 25 years with minimal maintenance other than reseals to retain a waterproof surface.
“The original road was constructed 70 years ago and has seen a lot of traffic over the years.
“This is the case for much of our rural network with heavy maintenance, reseals, and rehabilitation on those sections considered most in need programmed within the available budget.”
Police have confirmed the incident and the circumstances surrounding the crash are being investigated.
