Stage 2 construction has kicked off!

Kia ora koutou,

Waka Kotahi is excited to begin construction of Stage 2 of the Loop Road Safety Improvements project this week and has awarded the construction contract to Oxcon CLL.

Stage 2 will include construction of a southbound taper lane and southbound bridge over the Otaika Stream to accommodate a safe merging distance from the newly completed dual lane roundabout. We’re looking forward to keeping you updated as the project progresses and completing this project by late-2024 which will ultimately create a safer and more resilient gateway into Northland.

Introduction to our contractor Oxcon CLL

Oxcon CLL are excited to be newly established in Te Tai Tokerau with Waka Kotahi to complete Loop Road Safety Improvements – Stage 2. The teams’ efforts will be focused on the best possible delivery of a critical gateway to Northland that will provide safer, more efficient journeys. 

This project is the type of work Oxcon CLL excel at and are passionate about: complex engineering and multiple work fronts. The team have been working hard in the lead up to plan and prepare the construction programme, how work will be carried out and how traffic will be managed to minimise disruption and keep the community informed.

The team are highly driven, technically minded, solution-focused, professional, and easy to work with. When they are not on site, they like to make the most the outdoors, hiking, surfing, or fishing on the beautiful Northland coastline.

Stage 2 details

Construction for stage two of the Loop Road Safety Improvements project (the area within the red box below) began this week (Monday 6 March) and will include a southbound taper lane off the new dual lane roundabout as well as a new bridge to accommodate the additional lane.

These additions will mean the roundabout can operate at a dual lane capacity and give southbound traffic exiting the roundabout a safe distance to merge back into a single lane before Portland Road.

The new bridge will be constructed to the east of the existing bridge, which will be kept for northbound traffic. The new bridge will be constructed to new design standards that take climate change and sea level rise into consideration. This means it will be approximately 1.8 metres higher than the existing bridge on SH1, which will be retained for northbound traffic.

The higher bridge structure means right turns into, or out of, Oaks Road will not be possible and the entrance to Oaks Road will need to be realigned slightly. Northbound and southbound lanes will be separated by a centre wire-rope barrier. We have constructed a safe turning area on Portland Road for Oaks Road and SH1 residents to make right turns.

While construction for stage two may not be completed until late-2024, we expect less disruption to state highway traffic than Stage 1 as most of the work will be completed beside the road, off the main road.  It will only be the taper lane ‘tie-ins’ at the roundabout and south of Otaika Stream that will require more intensive traffic management, and this won’t be programmed until later in construction.

Project timeline

Please note the below construction timeline is a guide only and may change slightly with weather and other potential disruptions. We’ll keep you updated with any changes to the construction timeline.

• Feb 2023 – site preparations start
• March – September 2023 - ground strengthening (this is called ‘preloading’ and works by slowly compressing the ground surface to create a stronger foundation for holding the road and vehicles).
• March - April 2023 - temporary Oaks Road realignment (permanent open March 2024)
• Sept – October 2023 - installation of drainage pipes and culverts for stormwater, new streetlighting and utility services and construction of new concrete shared path
• Sept – Mar 2024 – bridge and retaining wall construction
• Mar – May 2024 – pavement, line marking, barriers
• June 2024 - approximate construction completion.

What's coming up

By now you would have seen some of the project team out and about getting the worksite ready for construction. We’ve been ensuring the site office is ready, environmental and sediment controls are in place and making sure safe site access points are set up to keep workers safe once construction begins.

Construction kicks off with work to strengthen the ground where the road will be constructed. This process, called ‘preloading’, works by loading material onto the ground surface to slowly compress it and create a stronger foundation for holding the road and vehicles. This process can take up to six-months.

Vegetation will be cleared and at times requires night-works between the Oaks Road and Portland Road intersection due to proximity to the highway. We make sure to search for native lizards and geckos during this period and will work alongside hapū and local herpetologists to survey, collect and relocate them, along with any other native species found.

Late-March the team will start drainage work and will also begin construction of the temporary Oaks Road alignment. This temporary alignment will be in place from mid-late April and will be left-in and left-out access only. Anyone using Oaks Road to access the State Highway will need to use the turn-around facility at Portland Road to head north. The temporary Oaks Road entrance will remain until March 2024.

During construction, there will be all sorts of machinery moving around the site including trucks bringing loads of top soil, diggers, excavators, rollers and compactors.  You can expect to see higher volumes of traffic around our site access points and we appreciate your patience and courtesy toward our crews.

Te Parawhau Whakawātea (site blessing) on Monday 27 February

Whakawātea (blessing of the site)

The project was blessed before sunrise on Monday 27 February by representatives from our hapū partners Te Parawhau. A small group of the project team attended the blessing and learnt more of the significance of the site to the hapū.

Keeping in touch

We’ll continue to keep you updated regularly as the project progresses and will share progress photos and videos with you.  If you have any questions about the upcoming work, please get in touch via LoopRd@nzta.govt.nz Otherwise, you can contact Jocelyn Orlando-Reep, Oxcon CLL Communication & Engagement Manager on 027 702 3625.

More information

For more information on the SH1 Loop Road improvements, contact us at northlandproject@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/loop-road