This is extremely significant for the community and for the project.

For the community, the reduced construction traffic on Ōtaki’s busy roads eases congestion and causes less disruption from traffic management or street sweeping.

From a project perspective, being able to run construction traffic over the bridges shortens the distances we need to haul material and reduces delays on already congested public roads, which helps make our project even more efficient.

We’ve also been busy with earthworks and drainage activities. We’ve shifted 180,000 cubic metres of structural fill, 200,000 cubic metres of unsuitable material and 46,000 cubic metres of topsoil used for landscaping. We’ve completed an 11-barrel culvert at Taylors Road as well as approximately 2,461 lineal meters of carriageway drainage, and 1,293 lineal meters of piped culverts.

It’s been a massive year for the project and our team will be enjoying a break over Christmas to spend some quality time with their friends and family, and so that they are refreshed and raring to go in the new year. The PP2Ō site will be shutting down on 22 December, and we’ll be back on board on 5 January 2021.

The work we’ve done this year has set us up for a strong restart in 2021, when there will be a lot of emphasis on pavement and asphalt construction.

I know having an expressway built in your backyard can be disruptive and I want to thank you all for your patience and understanding. I really believe the end product will be worth the disruption – it’s going to be fantastic.

It’s been great to meet you all since I started on PP2Ō in May this year and I look forward to seeing you all in 2021.

Until next time, stay safe, and have a happy Christmas.

If you need any further information, please visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/pp2o, call us on 0800 PP2O INFO or email pp2o@nzta.govt.nz

Ngā mihi
Chris Hunt, Project Director

Ōtaki Gorge Road

As we shared in our last edition of Express Connect, essential work at the Ōtaki Gorge Road (ŌGR) intersection with State Highway 1 means ŌGR will be closed for an 11-week period, which will allow our team to start safely constructing the partial interchange. During this period, a detour will be in place along Hautere Cross Road and School Road.

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Powelliphanta traversi otakia – indigenous to Ōtaki and Te Horo, and critically endangered.

The snails that cross our bridge

If you’ve driven under the recently constructed Te Horo Beach Road bridge you may have noticed that the bridge is crawling with snails – five of them, to be precise. The snail-themed artwork on the decorative panels is a nod to Powelliphanta traversi otakia, a snail endemic to the Ōtaki – Te Horo area.

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Bridge 5 – Ōtaki River Bridge – steaming ahead

Bridge 5, spanning the Ōtaki River, is a spectacular piece of engineering work. Among the many engineering considerations was the need to keep people safe in the event of an earthquake. The structures team, led by Jethro Staite, are making good progress on its construction and the bridge is now open to construction traffic. Watch an insight into the construction of this impressive structure.

Watch video >

Paving team at work on the State Highway 1 diversion south of the Ōtaki River Bridge.

Upcoming construction milestones

Pavement works are underway on the new permanent section of Taylors Road, and will continue into the new year. Bridge 1 over the Waitohu Stream is essentially complete and being used by the project to move earthworks from south of the stream to the north of the stream.

Read more >

More information

For more information on the Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway, contact us at 0800 7726 4636 or email pp2o@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/pp2o