Construction of the Northern tip of the Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway. Photo / Rosalie Willis
Construction of the Northern tip of the Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway. Photo / Rosalie Willis
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is still working towards opening the Peka Peka to Ōtaki expressway before the end of the year, but there are red flags the road could be delayed yet again.
Covid-19, the delivery of materials, and weather have affected work on the project and Waka Kotahi has advised it's assessing what that means for the opening date.
A bypass of Ōtaki, the road will join up with the existing Kāpiti expressway to the south and eventually the planned Ōtaki to north of Levin expressway.
The roads, along with the newly opened Transmission Gully motorway, form Wellington's northern corridor.
Transport Minister Michael Wood said he has been advised Waka Kotahi was still working toward an opening before the end of 2022, however, this was reliant on the impacts of Covid-19 and weather.
"I am confident the construction team appreciate how much the road is valued by local communities and broader Wellington residents and are doing all they can to complete construction."
As of the end of March 2022, $372m has been spent on the project and Waka Kotahi expected the final cost to be $445m.
National's transport spokesman Simeon Brown said the Government needed to front up about when the road will open.
"The Government is looking set to announce another delay for the Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway with the Transport Minister failing to confirm it will open this year as currently planned."
Brown criticised Wood for spending months blaming the former National Government for delays to Transmission Gully, but not clarifying whether the Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway will open this year.
"While lockdowns and supply chain constraints will have impacted the project the Government is quickly gaining a track record of failing to deliver major projects within time and to budget, with taxpayers footing the bill."
Transport Minister Michael Wood. Photo / Alex Burton
Waka Kotahi principal project manager Glen Prince said more than two thirds of those working directly on the project have had to self isolate due to Covid-19.
Prince said the team has been proactive in minimising delays to the delivery of materials, but aggregate and asphalt supply have been affected.
They were working through options to mitigate delays in Intelligent Transport Systems equipment like CCTV, Prince said.
"All efforts are being made by the construction team to have the expressway open in late 2022."
Prince also confirmed there has been a delay in laying the bottom two layers of asphalt, which will now be completed over winter, although that was weather dependent.
"The final surfacing cannot be laid during winter as it is more susceptible to temperature and moisture, so this work will not commence until September 1 at the earliest."
The 13km, four-lane expressway, which started construction in 2017, was meant to open in 2020.
Then it was delayed due to an upgrade of the road's surface with a new pavement design, as well as the addition of a 10km shared path for cyclists, horse-riders. and pedestrians.
The road was rescheduled to open in 2021, but then Covid-19 hit and in June last year Waka Kotahi advised it would be delayed until late 2022.
