13 May 2013

First half of new Wairau Creek Bridge completed

Auckland Transport has reached the halfway mark in its $4.2 million upgrade of the Wairau Road/Forrest Hill Road and Nile Road/Forrest Hill Road intersections on the North Shore.

The milestone is being marked by the completion of the first half of the new Wairau Creek Bridge, which will replace the outdated bridge built in 1939.

During the week beginning Monday 20 May, northbound traffic will be diverted on to the newly-built section of bridge, while the remainder of the old bridge is demolished and rebuilt.

Auckland Transport urges motorists to adhere to the temporary 30km/h speed limit through the construction zone and be aware of road layout changes on the northbound approach to the bridge.

The bridge replacement and intersection improvements are part of the seven-stage Taharoto-Wairau Road Upgrade, started in 2006 under the former North Shore City Council.

The upgrade is set to bring a large number of benefits for road users, including additional traffic lanes to ease congestion, on and off-road cycle lanes, wider footpaths, additional pedestrian islands for safer crossings and undergrounding of power and telecommunications lines.

The bridge building work has required the driving of numerous piles - each 1050mm in diameter and more than 24 metres long - into the ground, often through solid basalt. It also involved the installation of 14 pre-cast concrete beams, each weighing 20 tonnes and covering an 18 metre span.

The new northbound section of the bridge also features an upgraded three-metre wide footpath with pedestrian safety barriers.

The replacement bridge is being stitched into the existing southbound bridge that sits alongside it, to provide one solid modern structure that sits above the 100-year flood level.

The project is expected to be completed before the end of this year.

To find out more, visit www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/wairau

For more information: www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz

ENDS

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