Otaki¯ Expressway work creates river diversion
as¯work to bridge it ramps up. The Otaki River has been diverted
Contractors building the $330 million Peka Peka to O¯ taki Expressway have shifted the river’s gravel to create a temporary platform to sink the last two sets of piles into the river bed.
Once completed, construction would shift to the northern side of the bank and the river would return to its natural course.
The 330-metre, 18-column bridge is the largest of nine that make up the project – expected to open in 2020 – that will form part of a billon-dollar fast road to Wellington.
Once completed, the route would join up with the $630m Ka¯ piti Expressway which would, in turn, link to the $850m Transmission Gully, also due to open in 2020.
Six of the project’s nine bridges were well under way and work would start on two more in the next few months, New Zealand Transport Agency spokesman Chris Hunt said.
‘‘Local road construction, which needs to happen ahead of mainline expressway works, is advancing and we’re gearing up for a very busy summer.’’
Currently, about 190 people a day worked on the site; a workforce of 970 people had been inducted onto the project so far.
‘‘Anticipated peak employment is 350 people per day.’’
Construction began late last year with buildings and vegetation removed to make way for the 13km, four-lane expressway that bypassed O¯ taki township.
Once the bridges are ready, a new 1.3km section of railway track will be laid, from O¯ taki Railway Station to the existing track north of Rahui Rd.
Last month, nine 39m-long beams each weighing 70 tonnes were placed for another bridge to be built north of the Mill Rd roundabout. A 400-tonne crawler crane was used for the job.
While work was on track for the O¯ taki route, residents potentially affected by the final leg of the Wellington Northern Corridor continue to wait for news. NZTA said homeowners would be updated after October.
‘‘We’re gearing up for a very busy summer.’’ Chris Hunt, of NZTA