The Nuggets Road Seal Extension

Client: Clutha District Council

Contract type: earthworks, pavement construction, retaining walls construction, erosion Protection, culvert installation and guardrail installation

Completion date: 31st March 2017

Capability: earthworks,  road construction, driveways, and carparks construction, drainage, aggregate cartage, and traffic management

The Nuggets Road is the only road to Nugget Point Lighthouse and the Nuggets, one of the most popular visitor destinations in the Catlins, attracting more than 70,000 visitors a year. The NZ Transport Agency approved a budget of $2.7 million for the project, which included the project development and supervision and contributed $1.6 million, close to 60% of the total cost. The remaining cost was met by the Clutha District Council.

The Transport Agency’s funding is part of the Otago Transport Investment Programme, which identified the sealing of the Nuggets Road as one of four key projects that would benefit Otago. It complements the $600,000 investment the Department of Conservation made in the area through the initial construction of the car park, toilet facilities, and viewing platforms.

The sealing project was completed in two stages. The first stage involved sealing the Department of Conservation carpark at the end of the road, closest to the lighthouse, culvert work, as well as some tree cutting and rock stabilisation work.

The second stage involved cleaning up, widening some of the road, guardrail installation and applying a chip seal from where the road meets Karoro Creek Road all the way to the lighthouse. This was over 6.1 km long and requiring over 51,000 ton of roading aggregate to construct a pavement that would accommodate 50,580m2 sealing chip. 

The final total project fees including the contract costs, design and professional fees are expected to come in under budget at approx. $2.2 million.