Express CONNECT – October 2017

• Kia ora
• Key construction timelines for 2017
• Bilingual worksite signage
• Construction starts – INFORMATION DAYS
• PP2Ō Expressway video diary
• Shared pathway update
• Connecting Peka Peka
• Construction update

Kia ora

The pace of the PP2Ō Expressway project is increasing with main construction scheduled to begin from November. To let people know what’s ahead two Information Days are planned for the end of October in Ōtaki and Te Horo. These present a great opportunity for locals to get the full PP2Ō Expressway story direct from the project team and other experts.

There's a lot to take in. We’re building 13kms of four-lane expressway and 9kms of local road between Peka Peka and Taylors Road just north of Ōtaki. The project includes 9 bridges, including a new 330-metre Ōtaki River Crossing and overbridges at Rahui Road and at School Road in Te Horo. We’re also moving 1.3km of railway. From the north end of the Ōtaki Railway Station we're realigning the tracks to the east, away from County Road, to make room for the new expressway.

Also this month we’re very proud to see our new bilingual site signage (te reo Māori/English) going up on worksite fences. More on this below but these signs have been developed in partnership with local kura and reflect our respect for the high proportion of te reo Māori speakers in Ōtaki. Ma whero ma pango ka oti ai te mahi.

Ngā mihi
Andy Goldie, Project Manager

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Key construction timelines for 2017

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Bilingual worksite signage

View our Gallery page for more images.

We’re very proud to be the first construction project in New Zealand to use bilingual signage, adopting a government initiative to promote and revitalise the Māori language. Te reo Māori, as well as English, is being used in all worksite signage on the project.

Project Manager Andy Goldie says it’s both appropriate and courteous to use bilingual signage when engaging with a community with one of the highest percentages of Māori speakers in the country.

“Having bilingual signs is a way in which we can show respect to the Maōri language and those who use it daily. It’s part of our ongoing commitment to encourage constructive links between the project team and the local community.”

Mr Goldie says that with four kohanga, two Māori immersion schools and two bilingual units within mainstream schools in Ōtaki, there was also a real health and safety incentive.

“Many of our young people learn in te reo so we need to communicate with them in Māori, particularly about hazards around construction.”

The project team used Te Puni Kōkiri guidelines to develop the signage and involved pupils at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o te Rito to get the wording right.

Hēni Wirihana, Principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o te Rito, says senior pupils at the kura took the job very seriously.

"Ka rawe te kite i ngā pānui reo-rua ki te hapori nei. It's awesome to see bilingual signage for such a huge construction task here in Ōtaki. The fluency level of parents and staff at Te Rito gave us confidence that the wording would be succinct and correct. Ngā mihi, PP2Ō Expressway.”

Gail Campbell, Acting Manager Cultural Wealth at Te Puni Kōkiri, says the agency is delighted to see The PP2Ō Expressway using its guidelines, released last December, to develop bilingual signage on the project.

“The guidelines were developed with public agencies in mind so it’s great to see such a big private sector company embracing them. We commend the team for responding to their local community in this way.”

Check out the team on the news:

• Te Reo Maori for construction signage(external link) – NZHerald.co.nz, 14 September 2017

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Construction starts – INFORMATION DAYS

Come join the PP2Ō Expressway team and other experts at our open days on 28 and 29 October 2017.

Main construction of the PP2Ō Expressway is scheduled to start in November and we think it’s important that you get an accurate picture of what’s happening, when and how.

Get your information ‘direct from the horse’s mouth’ when the PP2Ō Expressway team and other experts host information days for residents at Ōtaki and Te Horo on 28 and 29 October.

Key experts from the project team will man information stations and run a series of presentations on aspects such as bridges and culverts, earthworks and archaeology, landscaping and urban design, health and safety, and potential job opportunities.

There’ll be lots of time for questions and answers from the team who’ll be available to explain things with diagrams, maps and information boards.

“Our team is looking forward to meeting as many residents as possible over the two days,” says Project Community Liaison, Dale Nakhla.

The information days are also a chance for you to find out more and have your say on the PP2Ō shared path and Connecting Peka Peka projects.

The information days will be held at:

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PP2Ō Expressway video diary

Check out Ōtaki College media studies students' coverage of the Ōtaki College Careers Expo where the PP2Ō team shared insights into the wide range of careers available in civil construction.

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Shared pathway update

In June, the Transport Agency received a wide range and scope of feedback in the first stage of designing a shared path as part of the Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway.

The design team has used the information gathered to develop a series of options, and will share these with the community at the information days on 28 and 29 October.

Representatives from the Transport Agency will present options for the shared path and invite feedback and discussion from residents in the area, and others who plan to use the path, before a final design is confirmed. The shared path is planned to open at the same time as the expressway, in 2020.

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Connecting Peka Peka

View of Peka Peka Interchange looking north.

The Transport Agency is currently investigating options for improving connections to and from the Mackays to Peka Peka Expressway in the area between Peka Peka and the Ōtaki River.

The project team is working with representatives from well-established stakeholder groups to identify options. The stakeholder groups include Kāpiti Coast District Council, iwi, community liaison boards and other community groups.

Information days are being held on 28 and 29 October where the PP2Ō team will seek feedback from affected communities on the options that have been identified. From there, a Single Stage Business Case (SSBC) will identify the best form of increased connectivity and provide a case for the preferred option.

Find out more at: www.nzta.govt.nz/ConnectingPekaPeka or email the project team at ConnectingPekaPeka@nzta.govt.nz

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Construction update

Map showing PP2O Expressway alignment – view larger image [PDF, 1.5 MB]

Works are starting to ramp up as we prepare to get the main construction underway. In the North Zone (from the north bank of the Ōtaki River to Taylors Road) we are continuing to clear vegetation around Rahui Road, Pareo-o-Matangi Reserve and to the east of State Highway 1 where it crosses over the railway tracks. House removals around Rahui Road and demolition work are being carried out.

We are getting ready for work on the new Ōtaki River Bridge, including fencing off work areas and vegetation clearance. The public walkway will remain open at all times during construction of the new bridge but at times may need to be diverted.

In the South Zone (from the south bank of the Ōtaki River to Peka Peka) we are clearing vegetation near Mary Crest and in Te Horo around the ends of Beach Road and School Road and preparing properties for removal.

Work sites and site entrance points are being created. Worksites are dangerous places, please observe all site signage, stay outside our fences and help keep everyone safe.

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