June 2024 - Project Update

Tena koe and welcome to our second construction update for 2024.

At the beginning of May we celebrated our hard-working trenching team completing electrical power line diversion works. This meant laying over 31,500m of multiple utility ducting pipes along the length of a continuous trench throughout the site. Yes – that is a lot of ducting! If you laid those pipes end to end, they would reach from the Waimauku roundabout to the SH16 Lincoln Rd off-ramp and back again.

We are grateful to our supportive neighbours and commuters who get a birds-eye view of our busy site every day. Again, we’d like to say a big thank you to all of you for making the 60km/h speed limit a priority.

We are also grateful for the support and feedback provided by the Rodney Local Board on closing the Matua Road and SH16 intersection where a serious road crash recently occurred. For safety reasons we have now closed this intersection for the duration of the safety improvements work. A big thank you goes out to the local community for supporting this closure.

When the safety upgrade is complete, there will be no right turns into or out of Matua Road, however left-hand turn access will remain in place permanently.

Trenching between Berry Bridge and Matua Road (below image)

Construction update; what’s news with the crews?

Since October last year our crews have been working behind metal barriers on the northern side of the highway during the day, and across the road at night. That work is set to continue.

In the coming weeks there will be a change in the road layout when we widen the highway near Coopers Creek Vineyard. Traffic will be moved to the north to allow us to begin Kumeu No.2 Bridge widening works. Please look out for the traffic control signs.

The biggest noticeable change will likely happen towards the end of the year when the crews switch day works to the south side of SH16. This work is currently expected to continue until the end of 2025. Please see webpage and contact details below if you would like to read more or receive construction updates.

Here is what we have achieved since the last update;

Structures:

• Our Berry Bridge piling team celebrated the last pile being installed at the end of April.
• The team have since focussed on the structural elements of the bridge such as the beams and walls.
• Support beams that hold utility services cables have been installed along the northern edge of the Kumeu No.2 Bridge.
• The construction of Retaining Wall 03 was completed in mid-April.

Services 

• The existing 11KV and Chorus cabling has been permanently relocated into a duct under the highway, near Wintour Road and Joyce Adams Place.
• Isolated gas diversions were completed on the southern side of Joyce Adams Place.
• Combined services trenching along the northern side of the highway is now complete.
• 26 out of 28 drilled highway crossings for services are also complete.
• We have installed 2 of 4 new terminal power poles.

Drainage

• Stormwater work is ongoing throughout the site with more than 1500m of pipes and 60 drainage structures installed.
• Work on the northwestern half of the project is now 50% complete.

Earthworks

• As combined services trench and drainage works are completed, earthworks on the northern side have begun with the earth shaped into a batter or slope on the side of the highway.
• Topsoiling and mulching works are now underway on the northern side.

Pavement

• Road widening construction for the new shoulder has begun and will continue until the end of the year.

To see the progress we’re making on the project head to our photo gallery.

Togia Falakoa, Vitorye (Vee) Topia and Tosca Falakoa on site at SH16

Safety moment

Please avoid walking or cycling through the construction site!

Early in May we had a close call with a pedestrian walking on the busy highway through the construction site near the vineyard. Vee, a machine operator and one of a 3-person team working near the vineyard knew she had to act quickly.

“I was working as a spotter with Tosca who was driving the digger. We looked up and saw this child in a school uniform walking in the live lane, then crossing the road towards the barriers.”

Tosca yelled out to him and stopped the digger so the student could quickly hurdle the barrier to safety.

“He was freaked out”, says Vee. “I think he realised it was pretty dangerous and just didn’t know what to do.”

Once the crew made sure the boy was alright, Vee drove him to safety in her car. “He didn’t say much. I think he was just grateful we saw him and helped him to safety. It’s a good reminder to avoid walking and cycling through the construction site.”

Family fact: Togia (on the left above) is Tosca’s father. He has 10 grandchildren and has worked for Fulton Hogan as a machine operator for 35 years. Tosca’s brother Daniel is also with the company as an engineer.

Keeping safe

Pedestrians and cyclists’ safety is extremely important to our SH16 project team, especially given the risk created by the reduced corridor width. We have addressed this risk by completing a range of interventions including targeted communications with the local schools and bus companies, additional site warning signage, team safety briefings and a project specific response plan for dealing with any future situations.

While the road is being upgraded there are 3 things to remember to keep you safe when travelling through our site:

• Please don’t get distracted by moving machinery – especially the diggers working on the roadside.
• Please drive carefully and always keep to the 60 km/h speed limit.
• Walking and cycling through the construction zone is discouraged until the end of works which is currently programmed for late 2025.

Saisree Kuchana, Varahe Sivakumaru and Nichola Ram.

Meet the site team - Utilities

Meet Saisree (Sai), Varahe and Nichola from our Utilities Team! Utilities we rely on like power, internet and gas run underneath and above the whole length of the 3.5km site. Many utility connections are being relocated or upgraded - requiring careful planning. The team liaise with external utility suppliers so these services can be worked on with minimum disruption.

Sai is the Utilities Lead and originally from the south of India. She has been in Aotearoa New Zealand for 4 and a half years and worked in construction for 3. When asked about her spare time she laughs “I am a daughter to my much-missed Mum and a fiancé to my partner, plus, I am also the smartest kid in my family!”

Construction Manager Nichola has worked in the construction industry for 15 years. She came to us from a project in Queenstown where she spent time snowboarding. This year she hiked the Abel Tasman.

Varahe is a Site Engineer and for 2 years prior to this role was part of a university graduate programme rotating through different types of projects including South Urban Road Maintenance and Auckland International Airport developments. She says she really likes café hopping with friends and lying round doing nothing but actually spends her workdays helping Sai with budgets and when time permits, learning programming.

Cadets on site at Berry Bridge!

Looking to the future was the theme for some of our site supervisors recently when the project hosted a large group of cadets. They are part of an Infrastructure Skills Centre 4-week practical course which focuses on basic job skills in the construction industry. Getting up close with a real live site was a valuable experience. 

Kia kaha. You are very welcome team!

Looking ahead – what’s the focus for the next couple of months?

Looking ahead, we’ll widen the road near Kumeu No.2 Bridge and continue with day and night works across the site.

Structures

• As Berry Bridge foundation works progress, the sub-structure of the bridge will start to be visible.
• Precast bridge deck panels will be installed onto the beams and walls of the bridge.

Services

• Our next milestone is to get all the overhead power cables into the underground ducting so we can progressively remove the older power poles. Just the 4 new terminal poles will remain.
• We are working progressively through the site carrying out electrical diversions - 33KV, 11KV and LV (house supply).
• In the near future, we will be carrying out a Vector Gas diversion by the culvert at Joyce Adams Place.

Drainage

• Day and night works to complete drainage will continue throughout the site.

Earthworks

• Prior to switching to the other side of the road, final earthworks are being completed along the northern side of the site and planting will take place in 2025.

Pavement

• Further road widening construction for the new shoulder will be carried out including creating a solid subbase for the road pavement to sit on and installing subsoil drainage.

Project information

We are keen to provide you with regular updates, so you always know what to expect. These can be via e-text direct to your phone or email to your inbox and can be stopped at any time.

Please contact Nettie Bird, Fulton Hogan Communications and Engagement Manager by emailing nettie.bird@fultonhogan.com or phoning 0800 287 667.

If you would like to see more construction photos or get more information on the SH16 Brigham Creek to Waimauku project, please visit nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh16-brigham-creek-and-waimauku or email us sh16safetyimprove@nzta.govt.nz