Asphalting near the existing road between Jackson Street and Concord Avenue in preparation for the traffic switch. The beams of light on the ground indicate the plant operating zone, so the team on the ground know to stay clear. It’s a practical and effective safety initiative for night works.

Traffic switch, new road, footpaths and roundabout approaches at Bayfair

Earlier this month SH2 traffic was moved onto the new section of road near the golf course, and eastbound traffic was moved onto the old city-bound lanes between Concord Avenue and the Jackson Street entrance to Bayfair.

This traffic switch will enable us to start the preliminary ground improvement works for the new underpass, which will include stone columns, and for construction of the new road and footpaths on Maunganui Road between Concord Avenue and Jackson Street to begin.

A resident-only access lane and temporary pedestrian access is in place between Concord Avenue and Jackson Street. Access from SH2 Maunganui Road into the Bayfair Shopping Centre will be maintained throughout the project.

With the widening of the southern side of Matapihi Road near Owens Place and HomeZone nearing completion, our focus in this area will move to the northern side of Matapihi Road, where we will be constructing the approaches to the new Bayfair roundabout.

Pedestrians and cyclists in this area will be diverted behind the work area and along the fence line to access the current underpass.

Thank you for your patience while we carry out the work through here. The work zones and our workers are very close to the road, and we want them all to get home safe. Please slow down.

Read the Project Update February 2019.

Managing dust throughout the site

Dust management is a priority for the Bay Link project, and even more so given the recent dry weather. Two water tankers, carrying 18,000 litres, and 14,000 litres spray water throughout the construction site.

The tankers do their first circuit at 6.30am and operate continuously until around 5.30pm each work day, meaning each area gets watered approximately every two hours. Each tanker is refilled between four and six times in a day.

There are four 25,000 litre water tanks on site, and the water to fill these tanks comes from shallow ground water bores within the construction site. It’s non-potable water – so not suitable for drinking, and not impacting the local water supply.

In addition to the watering, exposed areas that aren’t being used straight away are grassed over to minimise dust nuisance, and in some areas an eco-friendly polymer is used to reduce dust.

Regular dust monitoring is underway using two portable monitors throughout the site to ensure compliance with our consents. If you have any concerns, please contact us.

Senior Project Engineer Brad Wallace likens the ground conditions beneath the embankment to a 15 metre stack of pancakes.

Pumice part of ground settlement process

Have you driven along SH2 towards Bayfair and wondered what the big mound of pumice on your left is? It’s an embankment and is in fact performing an important function for ground settlement.

After ground improvement work has been carried out we need to ensure that the ground strength is sufficient to hold the weight of what’s going to be built on top, and
is not going to subside any further and cause a wavy road surface or uneven ground.

So pumice, equivalent to the weight of the road or ramp that is going to be built on top, is loaded on top. In this case, 1,000 tonnes of pumice has been used.

The embankment settlement is surveyed twice a week, and any changes in its level are monitored and tracked. It can take two to three months for the ground to fully
settle and show no further signs of movement.

Senior Project Engineer Brad Wallace likens the ground conditions beneath the embankment to a 15 metre stack of pancakes.

“There are lots of layers, and if you imagine a stack of pancakes where you have soft ones, hard ones, thick ones and thin ones, the weight of the pumice above compacts them causing settlement, which will eventually stop, resulting in a consolidated flat road.”

Contact us

For more information on the Baypark to Bayfair Link upgrade project, contact us baylink@nzta.govt.nz

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