Construction update: what’s news with the crews?

Tena koe and welcome to our first construction update for 2024.

Work resumed on January 8 with the team out in full force taking advantage of the great weather. This year you will start to see some real changes as we progress widening the road and upgrading services. With a busy and productive site, we’d like to say a big thank you to all who travel past us for making the 60kph speed restriction a priority. Here’s what our crews have been up to:

Structures

• We’ve set up amenities to support the Structures Team with widening Berry Bridge.  The team have begun piling for the new bridge foundations.   
• Set up preparations have been completed to build retaining wall 3, located opposite Coopers Creek Vineyard.

Services

• We’ve completed gas relocation works at Berry Bridge.
• Directional drilling (drilling under the road to connect to the combined services trench) has been taking place over the last 2 months to relocate and divert existing underground services.
• Services have been temporarily diverted at Kumeu No2 Bridge.
• Combined services trench works have continued across the length of the site.

Drainage

• Storm water works have continued along the roadside behind barriers.
• We recently began night-time works to install some new storm water crossings.

Earthworks

• We’re continuing Earthworks along the length of the road within the project area.
• Some undercuts of soft material have been completed along the road widening sections. We undercut and excavate soft materials and replace with hard fill to create a solid sub-base for the new part of the road to be built on.
• Work on the Foster Road turnaround bay continues, with the pavement being extended towards SH16.

The 75-tonne crawler crane sits on the east abutment at Berry Bridge.

Cranes!

In late January our first crane arrived on site to support the Structures Team with widening Berry Bridge on SH16 near Foster Road. We now have two cranes; the 100 tonne and 75 tonne crawler cranes that sit on the west and east abutments of the bridge. Their main job is to assist in the construction of the bridge superstructure, and to install steel sheet piles and steel pile casings.

The steel pile casings are 12m long steel structural sections which are driven into the ground vertically with a vibro-hammer. The vibro-hammer connects to the crane and uses vibration to push the pile into the ground.  We have 3 trained operators in our team who can install the concrete piles

Each crane sits on a platform that is 30m x 10m. We expect to have the cranes on site until the end of the year. If you look at where the cranes are sitting, you can imagine the widened road running through them.

Keeping safe

Safety is our top priority on the SH16 Brigham Creek to Waimauku project, as we want everyone to get home safely to their whānau. While the road is being upgraded there are 3 things to remember to keep you safe when travelling through our site:

• please focus on the road, don’t get distracted by moving machinery – especially the cranes.
• please drive carefully and always keep to the 60 kph speed limit.
• please avoid walking or riding through the site during construction.

We appreciate your patience whilst these important upgrades are completed.

Off-duty and smiling for the camera are Moses Tulisi (in the cab), Vinau Drewar, Tama Rapana, Willie Napier and Brett Vermeulen (left to right). Busy back at the office are Tony Pemberton and Libby Berrington-Hume

Meet the Structures Team

The Structures Team set up on site this year with a big 12 months ahead to widen Berry Bridge. The most local of all the crew, with the shortest drive to work is Brett. He’s the Temporary Works Coordinator by day and a motorbike enthusiast in his spare time. Brett has 15 years’ experience building bridges and arrived from South Africa 2 years ago.

Supervisor Tony and Engineer Libby respectively have the longest (37 years) and shortest (12 months) work experience on the team. Libby is a keen horse rider and Tony jokes that he’s 'very good at doing nothing when I get home, but I do mow the lawn when my wife `encourages’ me!'

Willy has been in construction most of his life and he and Vinau (15 years on the job) both like to go fishing. They are experienced crane operators, along with Mo (3 years’ experience) who just loves to spend time with his family. Tama has been on the tools coming up 5 years and in his spare time enjoys cruises round the motu.

What makes this bridge special?

Although Berry Bridge is not a particularly big structure in bridge terms, it does pose some challenges in terms of demolition and construction:

• The newly widened bridge structure will be constructed with precast planks.  It will be connected to the existing bridge, so we need to match the exact profile of the existing bridge for the new structure.
• Existing services need to be maintained and protected as we work including the gas main pipeline and the overhead powerlines.
• Environmental controls are also very important as we are carrying out piling works, concreting and the demolition of the existing structure over the stream.
• The site conditions are very restricted, working in a tight space between KiwiRail land and busy live traffic on SH16.

Photos and videos

To see the progress we’re making on the project head to our photo gallery.

For some informative videos on how flexible median barriers and turnaround bays work - see our information on road safety interventions.

Night-time works and road closures

Night-time works requiring road closures will continue as necessary, weather permitting. These will operate 9pm to 5am - Sunday to Thursday. Please follow the posted detours. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Looking ahead – what’s the focus for the next couple of months?

Looking ahead, we’ll continue with our current works across the site including:

Structures

• Constructing retaining wall 3, located opposite Coopers Creek Vineyard.
• Progressing Berry Bridge foundations to allow the construction of capping beams which means the sub-structure of the bridge will start to be visible.
• Preparation for construction of retaining wall 7, located east of Matua Road.

Services

• Completing the diversion of the existing 11KV and 33KV power cables.
• Once the diversions are in place we’ll remove and replace the power poles.
• Ongoing installation of the combined services trench along the length of the project area.

Drainage

• Storm water crossings continue to be completed during night-time works.

Earthworks

• Earthworks continue at Foster Road and along SH16 to enable the pavement construction works to progress.

Project information

We are keen to provide you with regular updates, so you always know what to expect.  These can be via e-text direct to your phone or email to your inbox and can be stopped at any time.

Please contact Nettie Bird, Fulton Hogan Communications and Engagement Manager by emailing nettie.bird@fultonhogan.com or phoning 0800 287 667.

If you would like to see more construction photos or get more information on the SH16 Brigham Creek to Waimauku project, please visit nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh16-brigham-creek-and-waimauku or email us sh16safetyimprove@nzta.govt.nz