Takitimu North Link project pānui

30 September 2022


 

This is our third stakeholder briefing to keep you up to speed with the latest on and off site, as construction ramps up on Stage One of the Takitimu North Link project. 

Please let us know if there are any topics you would be interested in reading about - contact anna.foster@nzta.govt.nz

 

 

New business secures major welding contract

 

From employee to employer and business owner, Neihana Bennett (Ngāti Kahu) from Wera Works Limited, has successfully secured his first major welding contract on the Takitimu North Link.

Watch the video here

 

 

Bridge over Wairoa Awa (photo taken early August)

Temporary bridge nears completion

Have a look at this beautiful picture of the Wairoa Awa (River), showing the mahi underway to build a 145m temporary construction bridge.

It has now crossed the river and 'fingers' will be built to enable the team to cart construction materials across the river and construct the new Wairoa River Bridge - one of the longest to be built on this New Zealand Upgrade Programme project at 350m.

The team have constructed a navigation span which is wider than the other spans at 11.9m, to allow for rowers and other river users to easily pass through for the duration of the bridge construction. The temporary bridge will be completed in about four weeks.

 

 

Students visiting Wairoa Road and site office

Rangatahi check out career pathways in construction

Students from Tauranga Girls’ and Aquinas College visited the Takitimu North Link site in August as part of a career pathways initiative led by their respective schools. It was awesome to hear their questions about working in construction, and they were interested in the huge range of jobs and careers infrastructure projects can offer. Check out some of the pictures from their visit. 

"We would just like to express a HUGE thank you to you and all the team that helped put together the day for us on Friday. It was so interesting and informative and the students had plenty to think about on the way back to school. A huge takeaway from the talk was "attitude" and how that has the biggest impact on their employability. We are going to individually meet with each student and discuss their pathway plan for the future and focus on their employability skills and 'attitude' towards the future."

Future Pathways Coordinator, Liz Coster

 

 

Kia Ora Kaleb Winiata

Tēnā koutou katoa
Ko Mauao te maunga,
Kopurererua te awa,
Tākitimu te waka,
Ngāti Ranginui te iwi
Ngai Tamarāwaho te hapū
Huria te marae,
Ko Kaleb Winiata tōku ingoa,

Tēnā koutou katoa.

Stoked to join the crew on the Takitimu North Link! I’ve joined as a sustainability advisor, ensuring that the project is having maximum, long term, positive impacts for the Tai Ao, for our hapū of Ngāti Ranginui, and for the wider community.

A big part of my job is achieving a rating with the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC).

The ISC rating scheme takes into account: Energy, waste, material and water use, impacts on the community and environment, as well as sustainable decision making and innovation.

The work is progressing really well, and the team is committed to ensuring the sustainability of the overall project. It’s awesome to see all these things happening and getting to know the crew!

 

 

Newsletters in Te Reo

Our recent newsletters have been translated to te reo Māori. 

Te karere a te kaikirimana – te reo Māori

Contractor's Newsletter – English

 

Te Kauhanga o SH2 Waihī ki Tauranga pānui – te reo Māori

SH2 Waihī to Tauranga newsletter – English

 

These translations were provided by the The Translation Service – Te Pūtahi Whakawhiti Reo. 

 
Te Reo newsletter

 

Aerial photo - August 2022, and an artist impression of the completed Cambridge Road Overbridge

Work underway at Cambridge Road Overbridge

This site between Bethlehem and Tauriko will be very visible to the community and we’re mindful of our neighbours as work takes place. The team have presented to the Adventist School and whānau, sharing what they can expect over coming months.

The bridge will be 100m long and will carry one lane of traffic in each direction, with wider shoulders and footpaths on both sides of the road. It will be constructed just west of Cambridge Road which will keep traffic impacts to a minimum in this area. Once built, traffic will use the new bridge so construction of the new Takitimu North Link road can begin with excavation underneath.

Piling work is expected to take three months, subject to favourable weather and ground conditions. Once the piling is completed, bridge beams will be installed, and the concrete deck poured. It is expected to be completed by late-2023.

Read the media release here

Which resulted in stories in Sunlive and the Bay of Plenty Times

 

 

New whare at Te Puna

The team is now based in a newly constructed site office at Minden Road, Te Puna. When the weather dries up we will be sealing the carpark area and then able to welcome more visitors to learn about the project. We'll share more details about visiting times when this is confirmed! 

 

 

Artist impression of the completed Minden Gully bridges, and an aerial photo - August 2022

Work underway at Hakao Minden Gully

Work will soon be starting construction of the three independent structures that will cross the Hakao Minden Gully. These bridges are all three span structures and range between 140‐150m long – a mainline bridge, an eastbound on‐ramp and the westbound off‐ramp bridge.

A 280-tonne crane will drive 129 piles into the ground down to approximately 20 metres using vibration for the first few metres then hammering the piles to the required depth. There is 2.5km of piling work – nearly 30% of the whole project.

The Minden Gully has steep faces that slope down to the gully floor, overgrown with shrubs, trees and grass. The gully floor contains vegetation and a stream running through the middle. Temporary bridges over the stream will be in place during construction to provide access for construction vehicles and to protect the stream. There will be environmental controls installed either side of the stream.

 

 

Projects and programmes across this 55km stretch of SH2

We are helping to make the Western Bay of Plenty a safer destination and better place to live. By investing more than $900m in the State Highway 2 corridor, we will save lives and create better journeys for all. 

See the map online to see the overview of projects in progress. 

 
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