Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

SH30 Kōpaki rail overbridge replacement

21 December 2021


 

Piling begins on Kōpaki rail overbridge replacement

The weather’s warming up and so is progress on the replacement rail overbridge on State Highway 30 at Kōpaki.

Motorists passing by the site recently will have seen the crane which has been brought on to site and beginning work on installing the piles for the new bridge. The beams for the new bridge are planned to arrive on site late autumn next year.

Material has been brought onto site from both the Te Kuiti side of the bridge and the Benneydale side, to raise the road level for the approach to the new bridge.

On both sides of the railway line construction has begun on the abutments and a temporary crossing of the stream beside the railway lines has been installed so that construction vehicles do not impact on the waterway.

The realigned section of Kōpaki Road will be the first section of roading completed and the traffic diverted over it and back onto SH30 at the current intersection location, so the remaining section of new SH30 can be built. This is expected to happen around March next year.

The site will be shut down over Christmas as the team from Downer Construction and their sub-contractors take a well earned break. Activity on site will start up again on 10 January 2022.

On behalf of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Downer Construction and the team working on the Kōpaki rail overbridge replacement have a happy and safe Christmas and New Year.

 


 

New limit for the existing Kōpaki rail overbridge

Due to its age and condition, the existing single lane timber bridge is restricted to vehicles that weigh no more than six tonnes, with trucks required to detour around Kōpaki Road, State Highway 4 and State Highway 3 to and from Te Kuiti.

Fire and Emergency services vehicles, school buses and the bridge construction traffic have exemptions to cross the bridge with slightly higher weight limits.

When complete the new bridge will be able to be used by all trucks, including high productivity motor vehicles (HPMVs).

The old bridge will be removed once the new one is open to traffic.

 

 

More information

 
 

For more information about the SH30 Kōpaki rail overbridge replacement email us on waikato.projects@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website: www.nzta.govt.nz/kopaki-bridge