Express CONNECT – July 2022 | NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi

Kia ora

Welcome to the July edition of the PP2Ō Expressway construction update – Express Connect.

Although we’ve had a wet winter so far, it’s been reassuring to see the dark evenings of June start to lighten up this month to give the team at PP2Ō some more daylight hours.

While weather is always a handbrake over winter, the team continues with asphalting works and the installation of wire rope barriers on the main alignment along with other works.

Residents will notice smaller teams now working on surrounding areas to complete connections between the current State Highway 1 and some of the expressway’s on/off ramps. We appreciate these works can cause disruption for locals but we’re trying to minimise the impacts while completing these necessary works as safely and quickly as possible.

On a cultural note, this month we welcomed a visit by MP for Ōtaki, Terisa Ngobi, to the unique and historic Mirek Smíšek kilns to celebrate and recognise their relocation. We certainly enjoyed sharing this ‘project within a project’, where brick-by-brick we relocated and rebuilt these kilns to where they are now, which will be a unique visitor experience for the future. Read more about this visit below.

For further information on the project please visit our information centre (which has updated photos and a brochure to take away), visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/pp2o(external link), or call us on 0800 PP2O INFO or email pp2o@nzta.govt.nz.

Ngā mihi,
Chris Hunt, Project Director

MP visit to historic kilns

We're thrilled to have helped relocate two historic beehive kilns, built by the acclaimed Czechoslovakian-born potter and local artist Mirek Smíšek, to make way for construction of the expressway. The kilns were moved brick-by-brick a short distance east of their original location – at Mirek’s property in Te Horo – and then rebuilt.

Terisa Ngobi, MP for Ōtaki, and members of the kiln trust joined us last week to check out the results of this work.

“This is really special for the whole community and a big well done to everyone involved,” Terisa said. “The kilns are a wonderful piece of heritage for locals and people further afield to be able to see and learn about.”

Kiln Trust Deputy Chair, Jane Manthel thanked Terisa for visiting the kilns: “On behalf of the Trust, thank you for coming on site Terisa – this celebrates the hard work everyone has done to get the kilns moved and set up in their new location. We’re very grateful for the work Fletchers and Waka Kotahi have done and we’re looking forward to the kilns being open for the community.”

The kilns will open to the public once the expressway is completed.

Our thanks to Heritage NZ and folks from the community in helping us achieve a great result that'll be admired for generations to come.

Terisa Ngobi, MP for Ōtaki, in one of the kilns.

Expressway tech system to be tested next month

Next month we’ll be testing our Intelligent Transport System (ITS) for the expressway. This refers to the Waka Kotahi fibre cable that connects all cameras and technology across our state highways. When it goes ‘live’, the new expressway ITS system will integrate seamlessly with the national transport network.

A fully optimised ITS benefits road users by providing the capability to communicate with people about delays, manage traffic flows through transport operations centres and, where possible, reduce travel times and help deliver safer transport systems.

As we’re progressing well on installing the ITS fibre and power cables, we’re now ready to test the whole system along the alignment so you may notice some messages pop up on electronic signboards on the new expressway as we carry out this testing.

School Road Bridge, Te Horo to feature in National Bridge Summit

PP2Ō will feature at a National Bridge Summit where the latest planning, updates, insights and innovation across the entire lifecycle of bridge structures will be shared at two targeted events running in Wellington next month.

On day two, the new School Road Expressway Bridge at Te Horo (known to the project as ‘Bridge 8’) will be featured by PP2Ō Project Engineer Shane Soulsby.

The presentation will cover unique features about the design and construction of this bridge, including a discussion on the staging decisions that enabled its construction over State Highway 1, a North Island Main Trunk Railway and the new four-lane expressway without interruption.

Drone provides unique bird's eye view of the project

Students of Ōtaki College were flying high when they received recent permission to film the expressway using their new college drone this month.

Seeing the expressway from a bird’s eye view is a great way for motorists to check out how the project is progressing and also understand how the on/off ramps will operate when the road opens.

The process of getting authority to fly the drone was a great educational experience for the digital media class, who worked with the PP2Ō Survey Manager, Mark Fleming, to cover off all bases in order to get permission.

“Not many people know what’s involved in drone videography of publicly-owned land like an expressway, so it was good to help the students go through the process so they could capture progress of the project in this way,” Mark says.

The process included obtaining a licence from the Civil Aviation Authority, permission from Waka Kotahi (the landowner), and permission and approval from the Ōtaki Aerodrome before the drone could take off.

Restrictions apply to the height a drone can fly at. It was mainly kept at 60 metres above ground level and could fly/film within a 4km radius of the Ōtaki Aerodrome which is located near Otaki Gorge Road. This allowed for filming between Waitohu Stream Bridge and Gear Road.

We look forward to sharing this new video overview of the project once edited by the students when they return from school holidays.

Free maps available from information centre

Feel free to come and pick up a brochure on the Peka Peka to Otaki Expressway at the PP2Ō information centre. It contains a handy map so you know the route and can get used to the on/off ramp locations.

The information centre is located at 216 Main Highway Ōtaki and is open 9-5pm Monday – Friday, Saturday 9am-4pm and Sunday 10am-4pm.

View/download larger map [JPG, 286 KB]

Time capsule artefacts - keep them coming in!

If you’d like to suggest an item to be considered for the time capsule, please email pp2o@nzta.govt.nz

PP2Ō Expressway team creates safety game show

At our July monthly share meeting, the team participated in a newly-created game show invented to get some useful messaging out to the team around safety, as well as generating a few laughs.

Unfortunately, no one left a millionaire – but we certainly found it a great way to reinforce safety on site.

Upcoming construction milestones

Northern area update

express connect july 2022 northern area 1

Deep lift asphalt paving is completed north of Waitohu Stream and to be finished by the end of August 2022 for Otaki River to Waitohu Stream. All wire rope barriers along the shoulders are to be completed by the end of September 2022.
Local road works will commence in late July on Otaki Main North Road (SH1), north of the new expressway.

Central area update

express connect july 2022 central area 1

The wire rope barriers along road shoulders are to be completed by the end of August 2022, with the Winiata Link Road to be finished by the end of September 2022. Road surfacing of bridges is to commence in September 2022.

Southern area update

Deep lift asphalt paving south of Mary Crest, along with wire rope barriers along the road shoulders, will be completed by early August. The final asphalt layer, EMOGPA, is to commence in September once the weather is warmer.

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Express CONNECT – July 2022