2. Bridges nearing completion

The two bridges in the Mangaone and Mangaharakeke Gullies are nearing completion. The route through the gullies is now clearly defined, and the final beams will be placed in September. These gullies are located between Matangi Road and Cambridge Road. Click on the photo to see the latest concrete pour at the Mangaone Stream Bridge.

On this project, all staff are required to wear gloves for manual handling jobs, to protect against hand injuries. However, the contractor controlling the concrete pour in this video has a special dispensation so he can manoeuvre the pump boom using hand controls at his waist.

3. Lane closures in progress

From 1-3 September, road crews will install barriers and widen the highway for a new site entrance north of the East West Link Bridge. They will also create a pull-off lane for nearby residents on Cambridge Road. To keep our staff safe, we are closing the southbound lane of SH1, and diverting traffic via SH3/21 and SH1B from 9pm-5am each night.

4. Planting our biggest wetland

Once we open to traffic, all the water that runs off the expressway will be directed to wetlands or treatment swales. Native plants in these swales remove hydrocarbons and other contaminants before water is released off-site.
Wetland 10 is our biggest wetland covering almost 10,000 square metres. It is located north of the  SH26-Morrinsville Road Bridge. Once treated, water flows into a tributary of the Mangaonua Stream. The slopes around the wetland have been covered with mulch and are currently being planted.

5. Working under the bridge

We’re building a special kind of retaining wall under the East West Link Bridge at Tamahere. It’s called a secant wall. We use a special augur rig to drill a line of deep holes in the ground. Concrete is pumped through the augur centre shaft to form lines of concrete piles underground. While the concrete is soft, new piles are drilled and formed in the gaps between the first piles to create a continuous wall of piles underground. Then the soil on one side of the wall is excavated to create a retaining wall.

6. New roads at Greenhill

Traffic will soon be switched on to a new road layout at the Greenhill Interchange. This interchange connects with the Wairere Drive/Gordonton Road roundabout – a busy arterial link in and out of the city. Our roading crews are extending Pardoa Boulevard to connect with Greenhill Road.

More information

For more information on the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway, contact us at waikatoexpressway@nzta.govt.nz or phone us on 0800 322 044.

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/hamilton