Hundreds came along to a community open day and movie night in Cambridge to mark one year of construction on the 16km Waiakto Expressway section.
The open day at the Waikato Expressway’s Cambridge site offered several great opportunities for the community to see up-to-date details of the project. This included ‘behind the scenes’ tours and a booked out screening at the local cinema showing construction project update films. All eight bridge structures on the Cambridge section are well underway with visible progress at many of the bridges. The impressive Karapiro Gully viaduct is starting to take shape as work on placement of the massive steel beams continues.
Bridge and interchange works also continue at Rangiriri as the team gear up for a big season of earthworks as soon as the weather allows.
Work has also been progressing well on the roundabout at Te Kauwhata and Wayside roads.
Extensive testing on the Ngaruawahia section is being carried out, ahead of laying the final smooth seal surfacing.
An updated assessment report for the Longswamp section will be finalised by year end, and a community information day is planned for February 2015.
This summer will see pre-construction work on the Huntly section including fencing, vegetation clearance and the relocation of Huntly Gun Club. The construction contract will be awarded in April 2015, with construction to start in September 2015.
Specimen design and tender documentation is underway for the 21.8km Hamilton section. Submissions on alterations to the designation for the proposed Ruakura interchange closed on 22 October and a hearing before commissioners takes place on 9 December.
A recent fire at the Tauranga Eastern Link’s Domain Road interchange is being investigated by Police who are treating it as arson. Project engineers will be investigating the reinforcing inside the concrete to see if it has been impacted by the heat from the fire. We expect to know in early December more about the damage and impact on the project. While this is a set-back, the project is making great progress and we and our contractors, the Fulton Hogan HEB Construction Alliance, are committed to doing everything to resolve this as quickly as possible.
In other TEL news:
Related links
Bell Road to Pah Road, eastbound on the Tauranga Eastern Link
The first beams at Cambridge’s Karapiro Viaduct are carefully manoeuvred into place
For more information please contact:
Natalie Dixon
Waikato / Bay of Plenty Media Manager
T: 07 928 7908
M: 021 928 413
E: natalie.dixon@nzta.govt.nz
