Hamilton City Council manhole covers on Empire St in Cambridge were repurposed from the ITM Hamilton 400.
Those with a keen eye may have noticed a few manholes on Empire St that say, “Hamilton City Council”. We noticed it recently and wondered why they were there and asked the council about it.
A spokesperson for Waipa District Council explained that it was probably because the old manholes had a problem with rocking back and forth slightly, causing a safety issue as well as an annoying sound whenever cars passed over.
Hamilton City Council (HCC) had several non-rock manhole covers left over from the ITM Hamilton 400 V8 Supercars street race. Early on in the event organisers had problems with standard manholes lifting during racing, so HCC ordered a bunch of non-rock manhole covers, with city branding, which feature special lugs to prevent rocking, and some including a locking mechanism.
With the event now defunct, and plenty of non-rock manhole covers left over, some of the were repurposed here in Waipa.
So, if you see a Hamilton City Council manhole cover in Cambridge, rest assured you’re still in the Waipa District.
