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Tuesday 4 March 2008

Mayor opens newly sealed road

About 50 people braved heavy rain on Sunday (2 March) to witness the historic opening of the newly sealed Finlayson Road, which runs between Taieri Mouth and Waihola.

Mayor Juno Hayes invited Finlayson Road resident Keith Gunion and his 3-year-old twins, Blue and Stevie Gunion, to help him cut the ribbon to officially open the newly sealed road.

Those attending the opening were then invited for light refreshments at the Leitch Memorial Hall in Taieri Mouth where Mayor Hayes congratulated Council staff, and contractors SouthRoads and MWH New Zealand Ltd on a job well done.

Mayor Hayes said it was an historic day for the district, and the sealing of the 10km stretch of road would be welcomed by both the local Taieri Mouth and Waihola communities as well as tourists travelling on the iconic Southern Scenic Route.

Several local residents also expressed their satisfaction with the sealing of the road. They reminisced of travelling over the road when it was little more than a ‘dirt track’, and looked forward to now enjoying a much safer and more comfortable journey.

The $2.2 million sealing project was one of the first significant construction projects in Otago to be funded from the Regional ‘R’ Fund – made available by Land Transport New Zealand through the extra 5c fuel tax which has been levied per litre of fuel sold since 2005. The fund amounts to about $95 million to be spent throughout the Otago region during the initial 10-year period.