Pookeno Main Street re-development
This project aims to create a safer, more attractive, and vibrant street environment. We want to improve the street's appeal, reflect Pokeno's uniqueness, and create a new town centre for social interaction.
Our goal is to transform the main street into a welcoming space for everyone, with safer pedestrian access, reduced speed, increased parking, and attractive amenities.
This project includes stormwater upgrade, new kerb and channel, new clay paver footpaths, new raised pedestrian crossing, new street furniture, streetlight upgrade and landscaping.
Once all works are completed the road will be resurfaced and line marked.
What you need to know
Hours of work: Monday to Saturday, 7am to 7pm.
Traffic management
While the work take place, we will have a one way traffic system in place (24/7) heading southbound from the motorway towards the town centre.
Northbound traffic will be detoured along McDonald Road onto Gateway Park Drive onto Hitchen Road and up along Great South Road.
There will be visual signboards at either end of the worksite notifying the public that all businesses are open for business as per usual.
Please plan ahead. We’ll set up signs that give traffic directions for surrounding roads. If you live somewhere along a closed road, traffic controllers at either end of the road will help you. Please follow all signs, light signals and traffic directions.
View the traffic management diagram here.
Parking
There will be some parking bay out of action during construction period. We have made arrangements with Countdown and the Town Hall for there to be some parking available in these locations. We will have signage up to let the public know.
View the parking diagram here.
Project update
June 2024
Main Street
- Upgrades to the road and footpath between Market street and Wellington street are almost complete with just the planters, street furniture to be installed and the traffic lights to be connected and commissioned. All works due to finish July 2024
Roundabout - will continue to late 2024
- A quick glance and you’ll notice that the ‘guts’ of the new roundabout site has been layered up. With the work at sub-grade level complete on this section, the sub-base is building up.
- Framing is being built as we countdown to new kerb and channel being laid. This work is very weather dependent as there’s more excavation needed, and obviously concrete to be poured.
Contacting the team
The construction team will have an information portacom situated on Market Street (next to the EV charger) and there will be a dedicated Stakeholder & Communications Manager – Brian Cathro - located there every Monday, 10am to 12pm, and Wednesday, 1pm to 3pm.
If you have any questions or concerns outside of these hours, please contact Brian at brian.cathro@waikatoalliance.co.nz
Thank you for your understanding and co-operation whilst we carry out these essential works.
What's happening over the next week or 2:
Main Street
- Final touches! Alongside a few known pieces of work, we’ll walk back through and spot anything that is not up to scratch.
- There’s a small section of seal to do around the new stormwater grates outside the Main St carpark - we couldn’t get to this earlier which was the goal. This’ll create some minor disruption at the carpark entrance however this shouldn’t take long to do.
- IF the new street furniture arrives, this will go in next week also. Our supplier has advised it will be ready in the first week or 2 of June, so either way this might be the last piece of the Main St puzzle.
Roundabout
- More of the same at the roundabout site. We’ll keep building up a solid sub-base as this is what will help the roundabout endure for many, many years to come!
- We’ll be expanding our worksite footprint for the next 3-4 weeks to construct the first part of new kerb and channel. This will cover the entrance into Church Street and the front of sections between the roundabout site and police station. Access for residents will be maintained at all times with some minor modifications!
New Addition
If you’ve been downtown in recent days, it’s hard to miss the barriers up adjacent to the porta-com toilets. Behind them, foundations have been constructed for a permanent toilet block that will be onsite as soon as this week! Watch this space. The porta-com has done a great job till now but it’s time is nearly up. (once onsite the new block needs to be connected to water and waste water systems before use– they won’t work too well without that) .