Rapid progress on Manukau Harbour Crossing

The Manukau Harbour Crossing Project to double traffic capacity on State Highway 20 between Onehunga and Mangere is celebrating a year of rapid progress.

The Manukau Harbour Crossing Project to double traffic capacity on State Highway 20 between Onehunga and Mangere is celebrating a year of rapid progress.

Construction activity on the $230m NZ Transport Agency project, which involves building a duplicate Mangere Bridge over the Manukau Harbour and widening the motorway either side, has reached its peak. 

NZTA's Regional Director for Auckland and Northland Wayne McDonald, says the project currently employs approximately 200 people and is more than a third of the way towards completion, targeted for early 2011.

At the end of this month, it will pass 400,000 man hours spent on construction and celebrate the completion of all piling for the new Mangere Bridge.

"Since physical works began in February last year, the progress has been very visible and very rapid."

He says approximately 80,000 vehicles a day pass through the work site, which is on the main route to and from the Auckland Airport.  "This presents challenges in terms of traffic management, but is also a great opportunity for Aucklanders and their visitors see a major piece of infrastructure unfold." 

The Manukau Harbour Crossing will double the motorway capacity between Queenstown Road in Onehunga and Walmsley Road in Manukau.  It is a key project on the planned 48 kilometre Western Ring Route, which will provide continuous motorway between Manukau in the south and Albany in the north and an alternative to State Highway One and the Auckland Harbour Bridge for getting through Auckland.

"It is a piece of infrastructure that is vital to the successful hosting of the Rugby World Cup in September 2011.  We are confident it can be finished in plenty of time to give the expected 70,000 cup visitors a smart and efficient gateway into Auckland," says Mr McDonald.

The project is being delivered under an alliance agreement involving NZTA, Fletcher Construction, Beca Infrastructure and Higgins Contractors.  It has been expanded since construction began to include future proofing for a future rail link across the harbour.

Mr McDonald says a number of full and partial overnight motorway closures will be needed south of the Manukau Harbour in March 2009 to enable the project to complete essential work on the Rimu Road overbridge and Hastie Avenue footbridge. "With well tested detours in place, we expect minimal delays for motorists." 

Key project achievements so far have been:

North of Mangere Bridge:

• Major drainage works in the Gloucester Park area, to treat stormwater being discharged to the Manukau Harbour completed
• Widening of the northbound motorway off-ramp at Neilson Street completed and traffic shifted onto it
• Motorway widening between Mangere Bridge and Gloucester Park started, with traffic due to move onto new lanes over the next month so that work can begin in the middle of the existing motorway
• Excavation for a relocated Queenstown Road southbound on-ramp completed

Between Queenstown Road and Gloucester Park, all work is on hold to accommodate the Auckland Regional Council and Auckland City Council decision making regarding foreshore restoration which might affect the alignment.

Mangere Bridge:

• A temporary low-level bridge (called staging) has been built to provide access across the harbour for construction
• An on-site pre-cast yard has been set up and is manufacturing components of the piers and other elements of the bridge
• Piling has been substantially completed and 60 per cent of the bridge pier columns have been completed in just eight months
• The first form travellers have been erected and construction of the bridge deck span is underway on one pier, with a second form traveller to be launched in late February 2009

 South of Mangere Bridge:

• The motorway earthworks are 90 per cent complete
• An on-site pug mill has been successfully established to pre-mix the cement treated basecourse being used for motorway construction
• Approximately 7000 tonnes of basecourse have been laid
• The first stage of a new Rimu Road overbridge has been completed and opened for use, with the second and final stage due for completion in mid-2009
• Piling for the new Hastie Avenue footbridge has  been completed, with final completion and opening due in May 2009
• A new bridge over the Tararata Creek on the Walmsley Road off-ramp is almost completed
• A sculpted shotcrete wall on the Walmsley Road off-ramp has been completed
• The eastern boundary of the new motorway has been prepared for planting in autumn/winter 2009

For more information please contact:

Helen Cook
Communication & Stakeholder Manager
Manukau Harbour Crossing Project
T 09 635 1405
M 027 230 2566