Overlooking work at the Southern Interchange with the gullies being bridged and Matangi Road bridge in the distance.

October 2018

The sun’s out, the days are longer, and the teams building the remaining three sections of the Waikato Expressway are cracking on as they eye completion dates in 2019 and 2020.

Pavement construction is a big focus at all three sections, with Longswamp well into building the north-bound lanes. Huntly has made good progress on pavement too over winter, along with bridge building.

The longest section, Hamilton, has also been bridging-building over winter and while they have earthworks to complete, they have also made a start on pavement.

We’re building a special type of road pavement on these sections called Hi-Lab. This includes large rock (65mm and 45mm), with just enough gravel, sand and cement to bind the rocks permanently in place.

Three to go
Longswamp: 5.9km SH1 widening
Between Te Kauwhata and Hampton Downs interchanges.
Completion 2019
Huntly: 15.2km greenfields
Between Ohinewai and Ngaruawahia sections
Completion early 2020
Hamilton: 22km greenfields
Between Ngaruawahia and Cambridge sections
Completion 2020

For more project information – photos, videos, news – go to the project website where you can also sign up for emailed updates. Or like us on Facebook to get progress news and posts most days. 

The Whangamarino Road bridge will open to traffic in a few weeks.

Longswamp

A milestone is looming with the completion of the Whangamarino Road overbridge in a few weeks.  This is a key part of the project, as it connects local roads which have been extended either side of the bridge.

The Whangamarino Road and Rodda Road extensions, along with the overbridge, provide safe connections east and west. They also connect people coming and going to the Te Kauwhata and Hampton Downs interchanges.

The 5.9km Longswamp section involves widening the existing SH1 route. Construction started in early 2017 on building the south-bound lanes first and traffic has been switching over as the new lanes are built. More switches are ahead by the end of the year as the last lengths of south-bound lanes are completed.

As traffic has moved to the new lanes, earthworks and pavement construction has been under way on the new north-bound lanes.

This whole section remains a construction zone until completion later in 2019 so take care and please follow the 70km/h speed limit. The reduced speed is for the safety of all road users and the construction crews working nearby.

Another Project Update will be out when the bridge opens. That’ll be hosted on the project website

Here's details of the public information day on Saturday 27 October. We are asking people to use East Mine Road just north of town to access McVie Road.

Huntly

This 15.2km section, which takes SH1 across lowlands and over the Taupiri Range, is being built out of public view. So we are pleased to be hosting our first public information day on site on Saturday 27 October.

It’s an opportunity for us to put our project on display and talk to people about our work, especially around the environment and ecology, pest management, bridge building and cultural relationships.

Bus rides from the site office to the top of the Taupiri Range will show the rugged terrain and limited access which have provided challenges right from the start of construction in 2015.

The info day will be based at the site office, off McVie Road, Huntly East. Next to the speedway. The free event runs between 10am and 2pm, refreshments will be available with the speedway people helping out on the barbecue. There’s no need to all turn up at 10am – it’s the same experience for the whole four hours!

There are nine bridges on the Huntly job, with the biggest at the Northern Interchange. The beams went on there a few months ago and also recently on the Orini Road overbridge ahead of decking work.

The October Project Update is just out, with the main story on the strong cultural themes in the project, which sees some stunning artwork included in the Cultural Symbolism Plan. You can get those updates direct to your inbox by signing up on the project website

We have a new video flyover in time for the public info day and that will be on the website next week under the videos tab.

An aerial view of the Kay Road bridge which opened to traffic recently. With Kay Road now open, Horsham Downs Road has been closed while a bridge is built to take traffic over the alignment.

Hamilton

The final piece of the 102km expressway jigsaw and is on track for completion later in 2020.

Work on the Hamilton section has continued from end to end over winter and this summer sees the final 1.7 million cubic metres of earth moved and a shift in focus to pavement works.  And with 17 bridges, including the five interchanges, that structural work continues right along the 22km route.

A recent highlight was the reopening of Kay Road, which closed while an 18.8m-high bridge was built over the expressway. Now nearby Horsham Downs Road has been closed while this local road is bridged to go over the expressway. Read more on that here

Also out in the northeast, the team are working on the Resolution Interchange and the 1.9km extension of Resolution Drive out to the interchange.

Moving further south, the excavation under the Gordonton Road bridge has been completed and expressway embankments are under construction, as weather allows.

The southern bridge abutment at Puketaha Road bridge is under construction. There is likely to be a weekend road closure there from Friday 30 November for bridge beam placement. Watch for confirmation closer to the time.

Bridge works at Greenhill and Ruakura interchanges continue, and there are just minor finishing works now at the Ruakura Road rehabilitation and roundabout connection with SH26-Morrinsville Road. Thanks to residents, businesses and road users for your patience while we got that big job completed.

At the Mangaonua Stream bridge – the longest on the project – central piers are under construction. Just to the south, excavation has started to make room for the highway to pass under the new Matangi Road bridge.

Bridge and embankment construction continues for the Mangaone and Mangaharakeke stream bridges at Tamahere, and at the Southern Interchange the city off-ramp build continues. Retaining walls for the Cambridge Road on-ramp bridge are under way.

There’s a lot of construction activity. Please take care when driving through works areas, follow the speed limits and watch for changing road layouts.

There are lots of resources on the project website including project video updates and flyovers. You can sign up for monthly updates and the quarterly Project Updates on the website.  See the October monthly one here
 

The symbolic reinterpretation of the Rangiriri Paa was a project within the roading project and has picked up a number of awards.

Rangiriri

We were very pleased with the Rangiriri Paa project gaining national recognition – winning the Crown-Iwi Relations category at the annual Institute of Public Administration NZ awards.   Read more at that here

Stop by at Rangiriri next time you are going past. There’s still work to do there, with about 40 more pou to come which tell the story about this special place in our history.

More information

For more information on the Waikato Expressway, contact us at waikatoexpressway@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/waikato-expressway