Traffic restrictions for Elizabeth Street

Traffic access to much of Elizabeth Street in Warkworth will be restricted next week, as Watercare begins work to temporarily replace an old wastewater pipeline that frequently blocks and overflows.

Contractors will be sinking potholes along the southern side of the street and bridge, from outside Butter Chicken Box and The Bridgehouse along to K&J’s Takeaways, from Tuesday to Thursday, February 25 to 27, between 7am and 7pm.

Watercare says the potholes are being dug to locate underground infrastructure that the new pipeline will need to avoid.

“Conducting these investigations will ensure there is minimal disruption to the existing services and allow for timely and efficient construction,” a spokesperson said.

The following restrictions will be in place:

• Right turns from Queen Street into Elizabeth Street, and left turns from Mill Lane into Elizabeth Street, will not be possible during the work
• Carparks outside The Bridgehouse down to K&J’s will be closed from 7am to 7pm and open from 7pm to 7am
• Carparking outside Butter Chicken Box will be closed for the duration of the work

Detours and traffic management measures will be in place along Elizabeth Street and in surrounding streets.

Watercare said the investigation work was intended to be completed within three days, but could be extended, and that the potholing would generate “some noise and vibration”.

The Elizabeth Street pipe replacement is a temporary measure and is in addition to the major new wastewater pipeline that will be built from Warkworth Showgrounds to Lucy Moore Park.

Watercare said in October it was looking at “an interim upsizing” of the old pipe to stop sewage leaks that have led to several cases of norovirus in the town basin and that regularly force local oyster farmers to stop harvesting (MM, Oct 14).

“These works will help reduce the need for ongoing maintenance and flushing of the existing pipeline due to blockages, and reduce the frequency of wet weather overflows from the Elizabeth Street engineered overflow point,” a spokesperson said.