Activity on Manawatu Tararua Highway increases

A diagram showing the Construction Stage when the highway begins January 2021.

We are now less than a month from the start of the first construction activity for Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway.

In early August, the project Alliance – comprising Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Fulton Hogan, HEB Construction, Aurecon and WSP – will break ground for its 1500m2 project office at Ashhurst, at the west end of the new 11.5km highway.

The office will have capacity for 100 team members on its opening in early November, by which time enabling works for the four-lane road will have begun (subject to consent approvals).

The important enabling works include the creation of access tracks to allow transport of materials and workers to site. During this stage of the project, we'll also deliver safety improvements to intersections on Saddle Road, ensuring that construction traffic can operate effectively without any detriment to the safety of road users.

Meanwhile, a thorough programme of ground investigations is due for completion next month, having secured sample material from boreholes and test pits across the alignment to reliably inform the highway's design and construction methodology.

■ On track

The project remains on track to start main construction of the highway in January 2021.

In the first construction season, we'll make a start on the six and a half million cubic metres of earthworks required over the duration of the project. This will include creating embankments of up to 30 metres in height and digging cuts up to 60m deep.

In this opening phase we'll also begin building four of the project's bridges – the largest being Bridge 2 over the Manawatū River and Bridge 3 over sensitive wetland. Both bridges span more than 300 metres.

The first construction season will also include work on sediment and erosion control and creating access tracks in the wind farm area.

Note: All time frames are subject to a number of factors including consenting approvals and weather during construction seasons.

■ Consenting update/Enabling works

We are in the process of obtaining resource consents for the project's enabling works.

These cover activities such as water take from the Manawatū River, the creation of reservoirs for water storage, access tracks from Saddle, Cook and Hope roads and cabling relocation at Te Āpiti Wind Farm.

We hope to begin enabling works in October.

■ Main works

Mediation and expert conferencing is now underway around matters raised by individuals and organisations who have made submissions to our consent applications for the project's main construction works.

The Environment Court will decide on these applications following a hearing starting on August 24.