One year into construction on the Takitimu North Link has seen environmental controls in place, site accesses established, five bridges in construction, a site office opened, and critical utilities relocation work underway.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency infrastructure delivery regional manager Jo Wilton says people will have the opportunity to drop into the project office and speak to the team when it opens its visitor space next year.

Piling in progress at Minden Gully – picture taken November 2022.

'People will soon be able to pop into our visitor space to learn more about what's happening. We know that a lot of the work underway is not visible to the people in the community, so we're opening the doors for people to be able to view our project maps, see the latest aerial photos, and speak to the team.”

At Cambridge Road Overbridge, piling is finished, and the new temporary Harrison Road is constructed, and will open soon.

Locals in this area may notice an increase in truck movements along Moffat Road over the summer months as earthworks ramp up in the Smiths Farm area at Tauriko/Bethlehem.

'The team has also been focused on setting up the site for our first full earthworks season and getting major structures underway this summer. This has included vegetation and site clearance and building haul roads from SH29 / Takitimu Drive Toll Road, through Smiths Farm, Wairoa Valley, and a 145m construction bridge over the Wairoa River,” Ms Wilton says.

At Cambridge Road Overbridge piling is finished and the new temporary Harrison Road constructed, this will open soon. Locals in this area may notice an increase in truck movements along Moffat Road over the summer months as earthworks ramp up in the Smiths Farm area at Tauriko/Bethlehem - picture taken November 2022.

'Utility services including water, electric, and broadband fibre cables are also being relocated as part of this phase of the project, ahead of construction. Contractors Fulton Hogan and HEB Joint Venture are installing new Tauranga City Council watermain pipes running underneath SH29 as part of the project and continue to work closely with partners to deliver for the Western Bay sub region.”

An enormous programme of environmental controls, archaeological investigations and ecological work has been underway across the 6.8km site, this has included the relocation of more than 100 mokomoko (indigenous lizards) and 8000 fish.

'Work has begun on five of the eight bridges to be built across the project, with the first to get started at Wairoa Road in May 2022. A diversion road was built to enable the bridge to be constructed, piling completed, and 66-tonne precast concrete beams installed in October. This bridge moves another step closer to completion mid-2023 with the concrete deck now being poured.”

'A highlight has been the completion of the construction bridge built over the Wairoa Awa (river) – this enables the permanent bridge to be built and provides access for construction vehicles across the river, reducing the number of trucks on roads.”

Archaeology investigations underway at Minden Gully – picture taken November 2022

Drop in and meet the team

Drop in to meet the team at the project office, fortnightly on Wednesday's between 2pm and 4pm from 11 January 2023 onwards.

635 State Highway 2, Te Puna 3176

https://goo.gl/maps/73295yotYrxatawk6

About the project

The Takitimu North Link project is part of the Government's $8.7 billion New Zealand Upgrade Programme investment in better travel choices that help people get where they're going safely.

It will give people better access to safer and more reliable travel options to provide greater choice in how they move about.

Wairoa Road Bridge: A diversion road was built to enable the bridge to be constructed, piling completed, and 66-tonne precast concrete beams installed in October. This bridge moves another step closer to completion mid-2023 with the concrete deck now being poured – picture taken November 2022

The project includes eight bridges totalling 1.6km of the 6.8km route, made up of 45 spans and approximately 12km of piles, they range in length from 20m to 360m and in height from 6m to 25m.

Bridges are in construction at Cambridge Road, Wairoa River, Wairoa Road, and Minden Gully, Te Puna.

Find out more about the project at www.nzta.govt.nz/takitimunorth