The new Otaika bridge deck being poured

Progress update

The team has made great progress this year, with some major milestones ticked off. See below for our key highlights of 2024.

We would like to thank our project neighbours, the travelling public and key stakeholders for their support and patience while we carry out this important improvement work. We look forward to completing the project in winter 2025.

Super-T beams being lifted into place

Project highlights of 2024

Despite challenging site conditions we finished the 8 bridge piles on the Otaika Bridge in August 2024, followed by the installation of the off-site fabricated Super-T beams. Pouring the bridge deck earlier this month was a big milestone and will allow us to move into the next stage of the project in 2025 when we partially open the bridge in February.

Pavement crews working at night

We’ve also made significant progress on the pavement, laying over 2,600 tons of it across both the southbound and northbound lanes. Much of this work was done at night to avoid disruptions at peak travel times.

Up to 190 Drilled Displacement Piles (DDPs) have been installed so far near the Loop Road roundabout. This method is time efficient and more environmentally friendly as it creates less waste and needs less site preparation.

As part of ground improvements for bridge abutments we have also installed 600 Rammed Aggregate Piers (RAPs) at depths of 10–18 meters. RAPs are a sustainable and cost-efficient alternative to traditional concrete foundations because they use aggregate fill. 

In the image below you can see the new lanes, shared path and landscaping taking shape. 

Pouring the deck of the new bridge

On Monday 2 December, the bridge deck pour commenced.  This was a huge job with a dedicated crew of 25, to ensure this was done safely and efficiently, with a quality finish. A total of 200 cubic meters of concrete was used along with 90 tons of steel to reinforce the deck. For comparison this amount of concrete might look like 400,000 presents, assuming everyone gets socks for Christmas.

Travelling this summer?

The project site will shut down over the Christmas and New Year holiday period from Friday 20 December until Monday 6 January 2025.

Traffic management will remain in place during this time, so please drive to the conditions and sign posted limits. The team will carry out daily site checks, to ensure that everything is in order.

Due to the warm weather and clear skies, summer is the prime time for road maintenance and this year we are undertaking Northland's biggest ever maintanance programme. 

To help you plan your travel this summer, be sure to check out the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Journey Planner and get up to date information about road conditions, journey times and travel options, to help make your trip as smooth and efficient as possible.

Team photo after landing the first Super-T beams

Looking ahead to 2025

Otaika Bridge will partially open in February. This will allow for a temporary traffic layout so we can reseal the existing highway, taking us one step closer to project completion.

We’ll send another newsletter in the new year to let you know how the temporary traffic layout will work and share a map with all the key information.

Happy holidays from the Loop Road project team. We hope you have a safe and enjoyable summer.

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