Take a look at this video showing the first cuts of the project’s 235-metre tunnel using a 110-tonne road header machine.
We're cutting the tunnel in two stages – first, the upper portion (the "top heading"), followed by the bottom section (the "bench"). At regular intervals we pause the cutting to apply shotcrete (sprayed-on concrete) and rock bolts to stabilise the structure. The finished tunnel will incorporate cultural elements acknowledging Ngāti Tama tūpuna, the traditional guardians of the northern gateway to Taranaki.
