Queenstown Lakes deputy mayor Quentin Smith is “very disappointed” repair work on Ballantyne Road has failed again.

Motorists are currently required to drive at 30kph (down from 60kph) because recent seal repairs on a 2.7km section of the road - which came shortly after a multi-million dollar upgrade - failed to produce a safe road surface. 

The speed reduction was implemented due to ‘bleeding’ of the seal at the State Highway end of the road - something which occurs when the bitumen (which binds the chip aggregate) melts and rises above the surface of the chip seal.

When it cools, bleeding creates a slick surface which reduces safe braking. 

Ballantyne Road in late 2021 after the $6.89M upgrade was completed. PHOTO: Supplied

Additional remedial work has alleviated the “immediate problem of bleeding chipseal” Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) media and channels advisor Sam White said on Thursday (January 19), but the temporary speed limits will remain in place “until a permanent repair is completed”.

Sam said QLDC was working with contractors to confirm timing for this.

“I understand it is within the defects period but it’s disappointing to have the failure and disruption for the community,” Quentin said.

Ballantyne Road is a major arterial route which links State Highway 6 near Wānaka Airport with the Cardrona Valley Road. 

Bleeding of the road seal pictured last weekend. PHOTO: Wānaka App

A $6.89M upgrade to the road was completed in November 2021 by contractor Fulton Hogan, following many years of safety complaints, which intensified after the death of 17-year-old Jackson James (JJ) Aitchison, who died in October 2016 after his car left the road and collided with a tree.

Despite the costly upgrades completed in 2021, further repair work was undertaken on Ballantyne Road in 2022 by the same contractor because the new seal was breaking up in places.

This led to the latest bleeding issue, which typically only occurs early or late in seal’s life and it is a “known issue” with some fresh chipseals, Sam said.

However, Sam confirmed no other roads have been affected “to the same scale” as Ballantyne Road.

He said the council was looking into the cause of the issues.