- Kia ora
- Earthworks on PP2Ō
- Harakeke harvesting
- We're seeking your ideas for a time capsule
- Upcoming construction milestones
Kia ora
Welcome to the February edition of Express Connect.
If you’ve recently driven along State Highway 1 near Peka Peka, you may have noticed the fantastic progress our paving team is making at the southern end of the Expressway. We’re endeavouring to complete the deep lift asphalt in this area by the end of March.
I’d like to extend my appreciation to our asphalt crew for their work laying hot asphalt during these summer months, with temperatures reaching over 30°C some days. If you take into consideration that the asphalt mix is at least 140°C when applied, the combination can be a scorcher! To minimise the effects of the heat on our crew, we’ve implemented a variety of initiatives to keep them cool and hydrated during the hot days, such as:
- providing large hats and long sleeves to protect them from the harsh sun
- hiring extra crew to ensure there’s enough people for everyone to have a good break
- having a safety talk about heat and dehydration at our meetings we have prior to shifts starting
- supplying gallons of water – some days we’ve even brought in ice blocks!
So far, around 80,000 tonnes of AC20 and AC14 asphalt have been laid on the Expressway. We expect to use a further 50,000 tonnes before we apply the final layer of asphalt - EMOGPA (Epoxy Modified Open Graded Porous Asphalt).
At the other end of the Expressway, north of Ōtaki, we’ve just finished earthworks in the Bridge 1 area (Waitohu Stream Bridge). The temporary SH1 road diversion in this area will stay in place to carry SH1 traffic until the Expressway opens, after which time it will be removed. Our team is also working hard to complete the remaining earthworks in the Ōtaki Gorge Road Bridge area and this will be followed by the last of our earthworks on Winiata Link Road. More about earthworks on the PP2Ō project are in the story below.
Great progress has also been made with streetlight and wire rope barrier installation. Once finished, the Expressway will be illuminated by 107 streetlights along the main alignment and approximately 33.4 km of wire rope barriers will be in place along the shoulders and median strip.
If you need any further information, please visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/pp2o(external link), call us on 0800 PP2O INFO or email pp2o@nzta.govt.nz.
Ngā mihi,
Chris Hunt, Project Director
Earthworks on PP2Ō
We’ve been incorporating appropriate erosion and sediment controls as a vital part of our earthworks for the project. This is necessary because earthworks activities can cause exposed surfaces to erode which produces sediment and dust - these can pollute waterways and harm our aquatic flora and fauna.
Measures include:
- silt fences
- diversion bunds fitted with floating decanting devices
- erosion protection such as mulches, grass and geotextiles.
Most of our bulk earthworks for the Expressway are now complete with the last of them - on Winiata Link Road - due to be finished by April. We recently completed the final stage of earthworks (often referred to as the ‘final trim’) around the Bridge 1 area (Waitohu Stream Bridge) at the north end of the project area. The final stages of earthworks between the Bridge 5 and Bridge 6 areas (Ōtaki River Bridge and Ōtaki Gorge Road Bridge) in the central zone of the project are also underway. Final trimming is the process of smoothing out and flattening the road surface to ensure it’s level before we apply layers of deep lift asphalt (100mm of AC20 followed by 75mm of AC14).
To date, approximately 3,600,000 cubic metres of earth has been moved for the construction of the Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway, a high standard four-lane road that will increase the efficiency of freight and people movements between Wellington and the North.
“There have been some challenging soil types to work with, but the team have laid down the required quality of subgrade - which goes under the paving layers - before handing the works over to the paving team,” Project Civil Engineer, Macu Waqa says.
“At this stage of the project it’s really rewarding to look back at the earlier aerial photography and appreciate how far we’ve progressed, particularly over the past year as we’ve seen the road take its final shape.”
Harakeke harvesting
Recently, we had the pleasure of witnessing a harakeke hauhake - flax harvesting - on the project area (shared in the video linked to below).
Harakeke is an important fibre plant to Māori. Different species are grown for their strength, softness, colour and fibre content. This beautiful fibre can be used for a multitude of purposes and weaved in a variety of ways to make clothing, mats, plates, baskets, ropes, bird snares and fishing. The harakeke flax also has many medicinal uses, with the leaves and root juice often used as dressings and to sterilize wounds.
The harakeke - located in Te Horo just east of School Road and north of the intersection with Gear Road - is crowded in its current location with different species mixed together, but it will be relocated and rearranged to enhance its natural growth and to provide better access for future hauhake.
Hine Tahuparae from Ngāti Raukawa shares the story behind the harakeke with you in this video:
We're seeking your ideas for a time capsule!
Submissions are open for items to be placed in the time capsule.
Much of what we know about our history has come from artefacts that tell stories of our ancestors. If you could leave a piece of Ōtaki to be discovered by future generations – what would it be?
PP2Ō is seeking ideas for items to be included in a time capsule which will be placed underneath one of the Interchange Gateway Sculptures (gifted to the community as part of the project). The time capsule theme is ‘Your Ōtaki – what Ōtaki means to you’. This includes contemporary views, historic documents and artefacts that provide insights into how Ōtaki came to be, the place it is today and what it means to the community. Think broadly!
Anything placed in the time capsule must be dry and non-perishable, so items made from materials like paper, plastic and glass may work best.
If you would like to submit an item to be considered for the time capsule, please email pp2o@nzta.govt.nz.
Upcoming construction milestones
Northern area update
- Deep lift asphalt paving to be completed by the end of April 2022.
Central area update
- Winiata Link Road to be completed by September 2022.
- Wire rope barriers along shoulders and median to be completed by the end of September 2022.
Southern area update
- Deep lift asphalt paving to be completed by March 2022.
- Wire rope barriers along shoulders and median to be completed by May 2022.
