- Kia ora
- Saving the lizards, snails and worms
- Ōtaki River Bridge gets underway
- Ōtaki River Bridge construction video update
- Mulch Grab
- Construction update
Kia ora
Work on the PP2Ō project is moving ahead quickly.
We’ve finished the first of three bridge abutments at the Bridges 2 and 3 site, north of the Ōtaki Mill Road roundabout, and are now working on the second. This work is all part of preparing to relocate the railway line to the west.
To keep everyone safe around the latest works which are happening very close to State Highway 1 and cutting into the western footpath in this area, we’ve introduced a pedestrian footpath detour (more details in the Construction Update below).The underpass is still open, but for people who can’t manage the underpass stairs, we’re turning one lane of County Road into a pedestrian footpath.
County Road will become a one-way road southbound for all vehicle traffic, and to ensure pedestrians can walk safely there will be a one-metre separation from vehicles with double line markings and hit sticks (orange and white road markers). Vehicles will be able to enter County Road from the north end only. Vehicles coming from the south, will need to detour north on SH1 to Waitohu Valley Road, turn right into to Dittmer Street, right again at Te Manuao Road, then left onto SH1 and into County Road.
This is the first significant temporary change to traffic flow around our works and there will be more over the coming months. All the way we will keep you posted of these changes and thank you in advance for your patience. This temporary traffic management plan will be in place for the next eight months. For everyone’s safety please follow all signage, slow down around works and allow a little extra time for your journey.
If you need any further information please call us on 0800 PP2O INFO or email pp2o@nzta.govt.nz
Ngā mihi
Andy Goldie, Project Manager
Saving the lizards, snails and worms
Looking for lizards at night with spotlights.
Working through the night with spotlights looking for lizards and getting down on hands and knees to look for snails is all part of the job for the ecologists working on the PP2Ō project.
An important part of the construction is making sure that creatures whose habitats are affected by earthworks are moved to new homes away from the expressway.
Environmental Coordinator Sevi Hartley says that while we carefully check the whole PP2Ō alignment including rivers, wetlands, pasture and native bush, the project has three areas of significant remnant bush that require special attention. These remnants which sit south of Te Hapua Road and Old Hautere Road were identified as potential habitats for native lizards, snails and worms during the consenting phase of the project.
As a result, we have consent conditions that require us to monitor and then capture and relocate any native species we find before construction starts in these areas.
Sevi says the ecologists have focused their efforts on a number of native creatures – including peripatus (velvet worm), lizards (geckos and skinks) and snails.
Cooper skink
Velvet worm (Peripatus)
Snail (Powelliphanta traversii Ōtaki
The peripatus worm looks more like a caterpillar and is found in the southern area of the project in rotting logs and tree stumps.
“We move the logs and place them in protected bush that is outside the construction area,” says Sevi.
“For the lizards, we have to work at night. The ecologists go out with spotlights checking every tree in the bush, and then catch them by hand if they see anything.
“We also leave ‘artificial cover objects’ made of corrugated iron on the ground in these areas. The iron heats up during the day creating nice warm spots that the lizards will move towards and stay around.”
For the snails (Powelliphanta traversii Ōtaki), the work gets down and dirty.
“The ecologists have to get down on their hands and knees and search through the leaf litter. Any that we find are relocated, along with the lizards, to a nearby, DoC-managed stand of native bush on private land.”
The project team works closely with kaitiaki (iwi guardians), who often help us with the creature-gathering.
Sevi says the team are frequently stopped and asked about their work by members of the public.
“People are often surprised to see how much care we take with the local ecology. We put in a lot of effort and plan months and seasons ahead. We only remove vegetation that we absolutely have to and mark out the trees that have to be taken out or saved on site.”
Over the next month people will notice parts of the three special bush remnants being felled, but should feel reassured that all the ecological checks have taken place and that there is an extensive mitigation planting plan in place for these areas as well as the rest of the expressway.
The new planting will be particularly intensive in the Hautere Bush and Cottle’s Bush areas around Old Hautere Road, where there are remnant stands of totara and native plants. The project team will link the two bush areas by planting 1000 totara, 100 titoki and 100 matai trees, as well as some other species.
Once established, the new plantings will become self-sustaining.
Our Urban Design and Landscape Plan [PDF, 38 MB] has lots more information on this.
If anyone would like more information or give us feedback on our ecological work, please get in touch with us on 0800 PP2O INFO.
Ōtaki River Bridge gets underway
Artist’s impression of the Ōtaki River Bridge.
Work on the 330-metre Ōtaki River Bridge is now underway and will take around two years to complete.
The reinforced concrete bridge will be supported by 18 columns and will be the biggest single structure we build.
“The first job involves two to three large cranes on site with piling rigs drilling 24-metre deep holes, 2.1 metres in diameter, for the bridge piles,” says Structures Manager Craig Service.
“Once the holes have been dug, a steel reinforcing cage is lowered into the hole to create structural support and then filled with concrete. The piles give the bridge its strength – their depth and width creates greater surface area and friction which makes them strong enough to perform well in very large earthquakes whilst bearing a heavy load.”
These piles will all be dug through river gravels. We’ve started on the southern bank where we’ve put down a causeway on top of the gravels to support the pads we use for the piling.
Once we have finished working on the south bank, we’ll move river gravels around and retrain the river away from the north bank so we can repeat the process from the other side. Eventually the piles from north and south banks will meet up in the middle.
“In total, the river will move 30 to 40 metres but by building from south to north first, then north to south, we’ll only have to retrain the river once before allowing it to follow its natural course again,” says Craig.
Did you know that the Ōtaki River is one of the fastest-rising rivers in New Zealand? This is because its source in the Tararua Ranges is only 45 kilometres from the mouth at Ōtaki Beach. We’re working very closely with Greater Wellington Regional Council and in the event of heavy rain in the Tararuas we’ll get early-warning from their river monitoring systems. These alerts will give us time to get our people and gear out of harm’s way before the water comes down from the ranges.
We’ve also designed the new Ōtaki River Bridge to be an enjoyable part of the expressway journey, with a pathway for pedestrians and cyclists on the east side and uninterrupted views of the Tararua Ranges and the coast as you drive across.
Over the months ahead we’ll be working in and around the river bed to construct the bridge and you can expect to see people and machines in this area. It’s really important for everyone’s safety that the community is aware of our site activities, adhere to the safety signage and respect that this is now a worksite. Please don’t stop on the river in this area or attempt to enter the site along the river bank.
Ōtaki River Bridge construction video update
Ōtaki College students share update from Ōtaki River Bridge construction.
Mulch Grab
Digger loading mulch onto a trailer.
On Saturday 24 March over 260 cars and trailers made the most of the PP2Ō Mulch Grab at Gear Road in Te Horo. Our team of volunteers shovelled and scooped over 130 tonnes into boots and trailers and raised $2,200 for the Ōtaki Food Bank. Earlier in the year we also made free mulch deliveries to Marae, Schools and community gardens around Ōtaki and Te Horo. Thanks to all the team who gave up their weekends to help and to all in the community who helped us raise funds for such a good cause!
The rest of the mulch will be used for construction and final landscaping of the expressway. View more images on our gallery page.
Construction update
North Zone (north of the Ōtaki River to Taylors Road)
Rāhui Road service relocation works.
Earthworks and construction continue for the abutments for Bridges 2 and 3 (north-west of the roundabout on Mill Road). The first bridge abutment is finished and now we’re working on the second. In total three abutments will support two new bridges spanning the realigned railway and expressway.
The western footpath on SH1 in this area has been closed and pedestrians diverted via the rail underpass or via County Road. To keep pedestrians safe on County Road a temporary footpath has been created and vehicle traffic reduced to one-way southbound. This diversion will remain in place for the next eight months.
Works in Pare-o-Matangi Reserve are also underway and the top terrace is closed to the public while we work on relocating the railway line in this area.
Around Rāhui Road and County Road, service relocation works (gas, power, telecoms, water etc.) continue. This work is due to be finished by the end of April ready for our structures team to begin work on the Rāhui Road Bridge. All local roads remain open during the service relocation work but traffic management will be in place at times.
For everyone’s safety please slow down around all works and allow a little extra time for your journey.
South Zone (south of the Ōtaki River to Peka Peka)
Construction of the new Ōtaki River Bridge.
Construction of the new Ōtaki River Bridge is underway on the south bank. Over the coming months we’ll be working in and around the river bed to construct the bridge so you can expect to see people and machines in this area. We’re drilling 24-metre deep holes (2.1 metres in diameter) for the bridge piles.
The public river walkway will remain open during construction of the new bridge but at times may need to be diverted.
We’re also preparing for work on the new local roads that form part of this project. We’ll build the local roads first to keep people moving around the district and the first one to get started will be the Old Hautere Link Road.
This month the focus will be on clearing the remaining vegetation from south of Old Hautere Road to Mary Crest.
