Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says no further progress has been made since the previous weekly report in completing the required safety and quality assurance tests needed for Transmission Gully to open to traffic.
Under the terms of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract for the project, road opening is determined by Transmission Gully contractor Wellington Gateway Partnership (WGP) and their subcontractor CPB HEB Joint Venture meeting all contractually agreed safety and quality assurance tests. Building a road that meets these tests is the responsibility of WGP and CPB HEB.
Assessing whether or not the tests have been met is the responsibility of the Independent Reviewer. This is how Waka Kotahi ensures we are getting what we are paying for on behalf of the public in terms of quality, safety and performance over the period of the contract.
No further safety and quality assurance tests were submitted by CPB HEB during the week to 21 January. Examples of safety and quality assurance tests not yet completed by CPB HEB include tests verifying that any construction defects have been appropriately rectified, tests that relate to compliance with pavement and surfacing requirements, and other tests that show the contractor is operationally ready for road opening.
Out of 100 safety and quality assurance tests currently required under the PPP contract before the road can safely and legally open, as at 21 January 2022, 52 final test submissions have been received from CPB HEB, of which 39 have been accepted by the Independent Reviewer as meeting the required standards.
There were also no additional consent tasks completed during the week. As at 21 January 2022, 32 consent tasks were complete and 10 consent tasks remained outstanding. Two of these outstanding tasks relate to stormwater management. A fully functioning stormwater system, capable of treating road run-off water to the required standard must be operational for road opening.
Completion of the safety and quality assurance tests by WGP and CPB HEB , alongside meeting consent conditions, are ultimately what will determine when the road can open.
“Waka Kotahi is continuing to work with WGP, CPB HEB and maintenance contractor Ventia to support the work required of them under the PPP to build, run and maintain the motorway. Like everyone else, we are frustrated by the delays and lack of certainty about when the road will be able to open. Waka Kotahi does not yet have an opening date from the contractor or subcontractors, but we are working hard to reach a pragmatic solution to get the road safely and legally opened as soon as possible, balanced with ensuring we are responsible custodians of the significant amount of public money that will be invested in this project when the road opens, and protecting the long-term quality and reliability of the road,” says Mr Gliddon.
