SH10 Kāeo Bridge upgrade

17 March 2023

Students from Kāeo School carrying seedling trays

Kia ora koutou,

Works at Kāeo Bridge are nearing 50% completion, with bridge beams due to start arriving near the end of autumn.

At the end of this year the bridge structure will be complete and pavement works will be well underway for the roundabout and new roads. We expect to open the new bridge in early 2024.

Students from Totara North School preparing pots for seedlings

Kāeo planting day

Creating a welcoming and sustainable environment which reflects the native landscape and communities adjacent to our projects is important to us.

As part of the SH10 Kāeo Bridge upgrade project, we recently spent the day with young tamariki from Kāeo and Totara North Schools, planting native seeds to grow mānuka and harekeke for the surrounding landscaping at the new bridge. Over the next year, the students will care for the seedlings and grow them into mighty young natives. In Autumn 2024, they will plant them to leave their legacy for years to come.

Thanks to Matua Roger Kingi and his moko for collecting the seeds, the teachers and staff at both schools and our contractor Fulton Hogan for building the shade huts to house the seedlings.

Piling of the eastern abutment on the Kāeo side of the river

Onsite update

Piles for the bridge abutment on the Kāeo side have been completed, with work on the headstock now underway. The two last piles are currently being installed on the northern abutment.

Next month, we’ll be constructing one more pier (made up of two piles and a headstock) in the middle of Kāeo River.

A total of 24 Super Tee beams make up the new bridge deck. Each beam weighs around 55 tonne and is transported to the site on a large truck with a ‘jinker’ on the rear. The jinker is a special trailer and is controlled separately from the main trailer, so the 30 metre long beams can navigate around the tight corners on SH1.

Due to their size, one beam will be transported from Auckland each day and once on site, will be lifted off the transporter by the crane and then placed on top of the piers to form the bridge deck.

An example of the jinker in action as a beam is reversed into the Matakohe Bridges site in 2018

A render of the finished Kāeo bridge

More information

If you have any concerns or queries about construction works, please call Mel Norris from Fulton Hogan on 0800 577 623.

Road users can also contact Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency at any time on 0800 44 44 49.

For more information on the SH10 Kaeo Bridge upgrade project, contact us at northlandproject@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/kaeo-bridge