MEDIA RELEASE

11 August 2016 | CENTRAL REGION

Bridge beams lifted into place at Haywards Interchange, Upper Hutt

The first five of 14 reinforced concrete bridge beams are due to be placed across State Highway 2 at the Haywards interchange, Upper Hutt on the night of Monday 15 August.

The construction team will be placing the 32 metre, 70 tonne beams from 10pm, to form the first of two traffic bridges across the highway. The second bridge will be formed in late August or early September.

NZ Transport Agency Highway Manager Neil Walker says State Highway 2 will be reduced to one lane each way, just north of State Highway 58, from around 6.30pm on Monday night. The placement of the beams will require a series of rolling approximately 15-minute road closures on State Highway 2 from 10pmthrough the early hours of Tuesday morning.

“We’ve timed the lifts to minimise disruption to traffic. An alternative route will be available and well-signed. The alternative route is not suitable for large vehicles, which will need to wait for the short time that the road is closed. We appreciate motorists’ patience while the operation to manoeuvre the beams into place is carried out,” Mr Walker says.

“The site will look different on Tuesday morning with the beams in place, so we are reminding motorists to keep their eyes on the road and watch following distances.”

Mr Walker says high winds are the only weather conditions which will prevent the bridge beam lifts going ahead.

Most of the beams will be used to construct the bridge at the intersection, while four will be used for the pedestrian overbridge linking Annabell Grove to Manor Park railway station.

The interchange is expected to be complete in June 2017.

Photographs of the bridge beams lift will be available on the morning of Tuesday 16 August.

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