SH1 Tarewa Road intersection improvements


	April 2020


	Construction work resumes - COVID-19 Alert Level 3

Work resumes today (Thursday 30 April) on the SH1/Tarewa Road Intersection Improvements project as New Zealand has now moved to COVID-19 Alert Level 3.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has worked closely with our contractor for this project, Downer, and Construction Health and Safety NZ to ensure a safe return to work for the project team.

While some essential state highway maintenance work continued during the lockdown in order to keep the network safe for the movement of essential goods and to support lifeline functions, all non-essential maintenance work and capital project work stopped with the move to Alert Level 4 on 26 March.

At COVID-19 Alert Level 3, a range of new measures are in place including restricted access to the construction site, requirements for workers to maintain physical distancing, and the use of additional protective clothing as required.

One of the ways the SH1/Tarewa Road Intersection Improvements project team will keep staff safe is by creating ‘work bubbles’ that limit the numbers of people interacting with each other. Each bubble will enter site and take breaks at different times to reduce interactions and retain physical distancing. All office staff and those who are not physically required to be on site will continue to work from home until further notice.

Alongside staff safety, our priority is to ensure that the construction site remains safe. To achieve this, safe traffic management and appropriate environmental controls will be in place.

Please respect physical distancing and do not approach our teams or enter our work sites.

Frequently asked questions

Will the return to work be staged or a 100% resumption? Or how long will it take to get to 100%?

The transition back to on-site work will be different for every Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency project. Some activity onsite can start straight away however it will take some time for the SH1/Tarewa Road Intersection Improvements project site to be fully operational.

Approximately how many people will be on site?

In order to minimise unnecessary contact and maximise physical distancing, we will be running small task-specific groups of crews on site. As time passes and we move to lower COVID-19 alert levels, the full team will be able to return to work at our SH1/Tarewa Road Intersection Improvements project site office.

Has the lockdown led to any changes to the work plan? What will we notice that’s different?

Safety will continue to be the overarching priority on all Waka Kotahi sites.

The SH1/Tarewa Road Intersection Improvements project site will reflect all mandatory changes required under COVID-19 Alert Level 3 with rigorous rules for; entering and leaving the workspace (contact tracing), personal hygiene, record keeping, physical distancing, waste disposal and equipment use and cleaning. Only activities that can be carried out safely will be allowed.

All office staff and those not physically required to be on site will continue to work from home.

Has the lockdown impacted the project programme? Does it mean the project is five weeks behind?

The impacts of COVID-19 on the project are not yet fully understood. More information will be released when available.

What will work on site look like during the different COVID-19 response levels?

Level 4: Site will be secured and closed but safety and security checks will take place.

Level 3: Small task-specific groups of work crews on site. All office staff and those who are not physically required to be on site will work from home.

Level 2: Work during level 2 is not currently known and will be confirmed when we have further guidance from the Government.

Level 1: Work during level 1 is not currently known and will be confirmed when we have further guidance from the Government.


	More information


	For more information on the Tarewa Road intersection improvements project, contact us at barbara.ware@nzta.govt.nz Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/tarewa-road

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Construction work resumes - COVID-19 Alert Level 3

Frequently asked questions

More information