Happy holidays!

We hope you're enjoying the sun this December as we head into the holiday period.

The Stage 1 team of the SH16 Brigham Creek to Waimauku safety improvements project wants to extend our sincere thanks for your patience and assistance during what has been a busy and productive end to the year. We wish you all the best for a joyful and safe festive season. Please take care on the roads during your travels, plan regular breaks on long journeys and enjoy a well-derserved rest.

Our crews will finish all work today, Thursday 21 December 2023, and will be returning to the site on Monday 8 January, 2024. 

Website refresh

Our webpages have had a refresh! The programme of works and a new photo gallery featuring the project's monthly progress have now been added. To see our updated webpages, please visit SH16 Brigham Creek to Waimauku

Fulton Hogan construction programme 2024

Construction is set to continue in 2024 with the east bound lane of Phase A (as per the map above) and will focus on earthworks between Factory Road and Matua Road for:

• road widening
• construction of Berry Bridge
• construction of storm water services
• construction of common services trench for ducted utilities 

For more information on the programme of works, please visit SH16 Brigham Creek to Waimauku

Steel safety barriers and new road layout

Steel barriers have now been installed between Matua Road and Trigg Road. These temporary barriers provide protection for our crews during construction while maintaining one lane of traffic in each direction. They allow the team to realign the road and create the new road layout during daytime hours.

National Roadworker of the Week

Marlon Delos Santos has been selected as the national Roadworker of the Week!

See our Facebook post here

We are really proud of Marlon. He is dedicted to his work on the Huapai to Waimauku construction site, carrying out road widening and safety improvements along the corridor.

Marlon has been with Fulton Hogan for 6 years. Over that time, he has progressed from Machine Operator to Leading Hand and is now a Foreman.

Marlon is responsible for his site crew and their daily tasks including identifying hazards and risks, implementing appropriate controls for enviromental and safety management, managing change and being responsible for emergency planning and management.

Well done Marlon!

Waikaka for relocation

Waikaka surprise!

Along with being national Roadworker of the Week, Marlon and his crew (see below) recently discovered waikaka (mudfish) at the Huapai to Waimauku construction site on SH16. The crew moved swiftly when they spotted movement in the pool of water close by to where they were installing silt fencing. 

“I was working near a pool of standing (still) water and saw a movement.” says Marlon.  “Since I also discovered some eels on the last site I was working on near Panmure Basin, I knew what to do. We had to stop work!”

The crew quickly stopped fencing, so the fish weren’t disturbed. An ecologist was called in to do an investigation of the wetland drains and prepare a fish management plan. 

The fish were found to be black mudfish (neochanna diversus), known as waikaka in te reo Māori. Waikaka are an uncommon native fish listed as ‘at-risk declining’ on the New Zealand Threat Classification. Within the Auckland Region there are only 3 known populations. Any effects on one of these populations can be significant to the species.

A total of 11 waikaka were found by the ecologist at the site and were relocated to a safe habitat. We are very grateful to Marlon and his crew for having sharp eyes and halting their work before these taonga were lost.

Background

Stage 1 of the SH16 Brigham Creek to Waimauku safety improvements project focuses on the corridor of SH16 between Trigg Road, Huapai to Factory Road, Waimauku. 

To make this SH16 corridor safer, we’re making a number of improvements:

• Installing flexible road safety barriers to catch drivers who leave their lane before hitting something harder like trees, poles, ditches or other vehicles.
• Installing four turnaround bays to enable safe turning movements along the corridor.
• Widening bridges that are too narrow.
• Creating a wider road shoulder so there's more space for people who cycle.

More information

Please contact Linda Casey, Fulton Hogan Stakeholder Liaison Manager by emailing linda.casey@fultonhogan.com or phoning 0800 287 667

For more information on the SH16 Brigham Creek to Waimauku project, please visit https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh16-brigham-creek-and-waimauku/ or email us at SH16SafetyImprove@nzta.govt.nz