Traffic restrictions on Carters Road and Farm Road will be removed this week, as the North West Ashburton wastewater project moves into its final stage.

Contractors have dug up roads and laid new wastewater pipes on Farm Road, Carters Road and Allens Road (from Carters Road to Racecourse Road) over the past four months, the roads have been resealed and will fully re-open before Friday.

Infrastructure and Open Spaces Group Manager Neil McCann said the project was ahead of schedule, thanks to extra crews provided by the contractor Tru-Line Civil and good weather.

“When work on the project restarts in February, they’ll be laying new pipe on Allens Road, between Mill Creek and Middle Road. Then construction of the pump station adjacent to Mill Creek will start in the middle of March.

“The installation of 60 metres of a storage tank on Allens Road between Carters Road and Mill Creek will be the final stage of the project and we expect that to happen from March until about mid-April.

Allens Road will again be closed to general traffic while that work is under way, with access for residents only.

Mr McCann said the work had gone smoothly to date and the contractors were doing their best to minimise the impact on residents. Traffic management signs will go up in affected areas when the project resumes in February.

“At the end of the day, all the important infrastructure will be underground and the new sewer system will cater to the new homes and subdivisions that are emerging on the north-west side of town. People can flush their toilets and send the wastewater directly to the sewer mains.

“It also provides an opportunity for any existing homeowners with septic tanks to hook up to the wastewater network.”

The project involves laying a total of 2km of new pipes and building a pump station, at a cost of around $3.285 million.