The existing timber truss bridges on Akatarawa Road (B1/4, B1/5 and B1/6) were constructed in the 1930’s and they have reached the end of their economic life.
The maintenance of the existing bridges has become a significant annual cost to council, and potentially a safety problem for motorists.
Upper Hutt City Council has appointed engineering consultants Beca to design the new bridges and supervise their construction.
A contract to carry out the construction has been awarded to Brian Perry Civil.
Akatarawa Road
Wooden truss bridge
The replacement of these bridges has now begun and all three bridges are expected to be replaced by the end of the calendar year.
If you would like more information please contact councils' Technical Support Unit on (04) 527-2152 or email us if you would like to be notified of future updates via email.
Updates
Scroll down or click on a link below to view updates.
Akatarawa Road to reopen to through traffic next week
Akatarawa Road is now expected to be open to through traffic by next Friday (21st October). This means the road will be open for vehicle traffic over Labour Weekend.
The rain over the last three days means that the chipsealing planned for this week has been delayed until the surface has dried out.
It is now planned to seal the first two bridges next week if the weather is suitable, however some road works including unsealed surfaces and temporary speed limits are likely to remain in place after the road has reopened.
New text and E-mail alert service for rural road users
If you wish to receive alerts about road closures or delays on Akatarawa Road
register for the Council’s new permanent alert service at: www.upperhuttcity.com/RoadAlerts
Upcoming Road Works
The contractor will begin preparing the road at bridge B 1/4 and B 1/5 for sealing shortly.
The resealing work will start next Wednesday and will be completed by Friday.
Temporary speed limits and traffic controls will be in place while the work is being carried
out, and until the new chipseal has bedded in.
Upcoming Traffic Delays
A number of truckloads of fill material are required to construct the last bridge approach. This material is being transported to the site from the Waikanae end of Akatarawa Road. The contractor will be continuing to remove surplus equipment from the three sites in the coming weeks. This includes one of the cranes, which will be travelling from the site next Tuesday.
Bridge B 1/4
The side drains on the approaches are currently being constructed. Next week the bridge deck will be sealed with asphaltic concrete and the approaches will be chipsealed. This work will be carried out from Wednesday to Friday, but is very weather dependent, so may be delayed by rain.
Bridge B 1/5
The side drains and guardrails on the approaches now being constructed. The deck and approaches will be sealed next week at the same time as bridge B 1/4.
The southern approach was completed at 1:00am on Monday morning. Seven of the bridge beams were placed on Tuesday, and the last was put in place on Wednesday morning. The concrete infills between the beams were poured on Thursday.
The contractor is now working on the northern approach, while at the same time the deck is post tensioned and the bridge rails are attached. The road can be reopened to traffic once the approach has been completed and the sealants applied to the concrete deck infills have cured.
New text and E-mail alert service for rural road users
If you wish to receive alerts about road closures or delays on Akatarawa Road, register for the Council’s new permanent alert service at: www.upperhuttcity.com/RoadAlerts
Two bridge beams are to be delivered to site this SATURDAY 1 October.
On SUNDAY 2 October there will be a number of deliveries as the contractor is stock piling fill material for the northern approach to bridge B 1/6.
The final two bridge beams will be delivered on Monday 3 October.
Click on the images below to view larger
The contractor is planning to work on-site 24 hours a day from now until Monday evening.
This will result in a significant amount of additional traffic on the road outside of the normal hours during this time.
The 200t crane will be travelling to the site on Monday; and will be leaving the site to return to Wellington on Wednesday.
Cyclists and pedestrians are encouraged to avoid using Akatarawa Road between bridge B1/5 and B1/6 on Tuesday when the final bridge beams are put into place; and need to be aware that if they do so they can expected significant delays throughout the day.
As equipment becomes surplus to requirements it is being removed from site. Regular road users need to be aware that they may encounter large and/or slow moving vehicles at any time throughout the coming weeks.
Bridge B 1/4
Traffic continues to be restricted to one lane on the approach to the bridge. The fine weather over the past week has assisted the drying process on the protected area and it is hoped that the full width will be open to road users shortly.
Bridge B 1/5 The major works associated with this bridge are now completed.
Minor works associated with the guardrails, handrails, and approaches are continuing.
Bridge B 1/6
The approach on the southern side of the river is now over half completed and will be finished by Sunday afternoon ready for the arrival of the crane on Monday.
The bridge beams will be placed on Tuesdays. Because of the restricted space and the need swing the beams in over the footbridge the road will be closed to all traffic including pedestrians and cyclists for an extended period while each of the eight beams is swung into place. The beam delivery truck and other vehicles will also be operating on the road between B 1/5 and B 1/6 throughout the day. Public access through the worksite is still available but for their own safety anyone taking advantage of this access is expected to follow the directions of Brian Perry Civil.
On the north side of the river the final abutment was poured last week. The 68 cubic metres was the last large-scale concrete pour for the three bridges.
The corbel on top of the abutment (the seat for the bridge beams) has been boxed and is being poured today (Friday 30 September).
Once the boxing and scaffolding has been removed the remainder of the unsuitable material in the approach will be excavated down to a firm base to allow construction of the new two lane approach.
Timetable
Work has run to programme for the last two weeks and it is expected that all the contract works
will be completed in early November.
New text and E-mail alert service for rural road users
Do not forget that if you wish to receive alerts about road closures or delays on Akatarawa Road register for the Council’s new permanent alert service at: www.upperhuttcity.com/RoadAlerts
Bridge B 1/4
This bridge is now open to vehicle traffic. Construction works are continuing at the site so care still needs to be taken when travelling along this stretch of road.
Bridge B 1/5
The bridge deck beams were placed on this bridge this week. Once that work is complete the deck will be post tensioned (to tie the beams together across the width of the bridge) and the space between the beams will be grouted. It is expected it will be usable by vehicle traffic at the end of the first week of October. However, the bridge will remain closed to public vehicles as it does not provide any additional access along the road and the restricted road width beyond that point means that private vehicles would hinder construction work.
Bridge B 1/6
The first of the concrete abutments was poured early this week. The second abutment is now being prepared, while at the same time the first approach is being constructed. It is expected that the beams will be placed in early October and that the road will be open to the public approximately three weeks after this.
Timetable
It is expected that all the contract works will be completed in early November.
Upcoming Traffic Delays
The bridge beams for the final bridge are being transported into the site this week.
First bridge is open for vehicle traffic from Thursday
The first of the three bridges, B1/4 will be opened for traffic on Thursday 8 September. The
temporary bailey bridge is being removed to allow the contractor to complete the construction
of the approach on the northern side of the bridge.
Road users need to continue to drive with caution as road works will continue at the site and
particularly on the approaches to the bridge after the new bridge has opened.
Upcoming Traffic Delays
During the removal of the bailey bridge on Thursday 8 September there will be delays atbridge B1/4 while the cranes are operating (between 9:00am and 3:00pm).
The delivery of the beams that was programmed to be carried out from Wednesday 24 to Wednesday 31 will now be completed today (26 August). This has come about because the supplier has been able to get access to two trucks capable of negotiating Akatarawa Road, enabling him to make two simultaneous deliveries each day rather than the single delivery planned.
On Tuesday 30 August when the concrete for the southern abutment wall of bridge B 1/5 is poured there will be a number of concrete trucks on the road between Upper Hutt and the bridge throughout the day starting from 4:00am.
Click on the images below to view larger
Bridge B1/4
This week the bridge beams were placed on the abutment walls. The construction of the northern abutment will continue this week and next.
Placing the beams on bridge B1/4 Lowering the first beam into place
Swinging the second beam across the bailey bridge
Second beam with the rear half of the delivery truck to the left
Second beam being positioned before being lowered
Second beam being lowered into place
Bridge B1/5 The abutment wall on the northern side of the river has been completed and the boxing is being removed.
The reinforcing and formwork on the southern abutment are being completed at the moment.
The first concrete pour will be carried out next Tuesday (30 August).
It will put in place the lower eight metres of the abutment and will be the single biggest concrete pour of the project. The limiting factor is the ability of the formwork to contain the pressure resulting from the eight metres of liquid concrete.
The pour will begin at 4am and will require 160
cubic metres of concrete.
B1/6
The existing bridge was removed on Wednesday (24th).
The concrete abutments will be demolished during the coming week. A culvert has been installed to provide temporary access for pedestrians and cyclists.
At the same time the piles on the northern side of the river will be drilled and prepared for pouring,
and the site of the southern abutment wall will be excavated ready for the formwork and reinforcing.
The snow had a significant effect on progress this week with three working days lost.
A revised timetable for road delays is:
Monday 22 Aug The last two bridge beams will be delivered to bridge B1/4. An additional 200 tonne crane (lifting capacity not the weight of the crane) will also be delivered to bridge B1/5, but this will not require any oversized loads.
Tuesday 23 Aug
The eight bridge beams will be lifted into place on bridge B1/4.
Wednesday 24 Aug Beam deliveries start to bridge B1/5. One beam will be delivered each weekday between 11am and 1pm. (Wed 24-Fri 26 and Mon 29-Wed 31).
Wednesday 24 Aug Bridge B1/6 will be demolished. The pieces of the bridge will then be transported to their new owner in Kapiti. Once this has been done the number of deliveries to the site from the Kapiti side will increase as access to B1/6 is limited until B1/5 is completed.
Cyclists using the road between the bridges and the summit also need to be aware that the snow has left a lot of broken branches on the road between the bridges and the summit. The Upper Hutt City Council road maintenance contractor will be clearing this debris early next week.
Updated: Tuesday 16 August, 2011at 1.13pm
Due to the adverse weather the works that were expected to cause road delays later this week (placing the beams on bridge B1/4 and delivering beams to B1/5) have been postponed.
The contractor is monitoring the situation and once the full impact has been assessed you will be advised of the new dates that the work is expected to be carried out.
The earthworks on the bridges approaches on each side of the river are underway.
The two abutments are braced against each other and the fill behind them needs to be built up evenly to avoid pushing one or both abutment walls over.
Bridge B1/4
Fluctuations in the shape of the underlying rock have required additional gabion retaining walls and this work is now programmed to be completed by August 17.
The beams will be installed on 18 August.
Bridge B1/5
The northern abutment was poured on 11 August.
Work on the southern abutment is continuing. This wall will be 9 metres high. Because of the height it will be poured in two separate parts. This is programmed to be completed by 2 September.
Bridge B1/6
The piling on the southern side of the bridge is now completed and the contractor is installing
an alternative pedestrian crossing across the river. Once this has been completed the existing bridge will be removed.
Upcoming Traffic Delays
The last two bridge beams for bridge B 1/4 will be delivered on 17 August. The reason for this is that the beams remain on the trucks overnight and are installed directly onto the bridge to avoid double handling. The two trucks will be travelling up the road together, so motorists will need to be aware that the delay will be longer than for previous deliveries involving one truck.
Installing the beams on bridge B 1/4 involves working over the top of the bailey bridge. There will be periodic delays throughout the day as each beam is installed. These eight delays are expected to be around 10-15 minutes each.
The first six beams are due to be delivered to bridge B 1/5, with the first next Friday (19th) and a further five the following week (Monday (22nd) to Friday (26th)). Each delivery will occur between approximately 11am and 1pm. These beams will be delivered directly to bridge 1/5 so road users need to be aware that the delivery truck could be encountered anywhere along the road.
The progress on this project continues to accelerate. Brian Perry Civil now have crews working on all three bridges, with up to 35 staff on site each day.
Bridge B1/4
The concrete work on the northern abutment has been completed. The pour began at 3:30am and was finished at 5:00pm
The contractor is now constructing the approaches on each side of the river. These earthworks are programmed to be completed in time for the beams to be installed on August 16.
Bridge B1/5
The formwork (boxing) and reinforcing steel on the northern abutment (left hand side of the river in the photograph) are being completed this week. The contractor plans to pour the concrete on this side of the river on Monday (8 August).
Construction of the abutment on the southern side of the river is underway. This nine metre abutment is the biggest of the size and will require two concrete pours.
Bridge B1/6
The first pile on the southern side of the river has been completed. The second pile is underway and will be completed shortly.
The piling rig will be moving to the northern side of the river next week. The existing bridge is to be removed next Wednesday.
Upcoming Traffic Delays
The contractor will begin delivering bridge beams to the site on Monday 15 August. A beam will be delivered to the staging area by bridge B 1/4 each day between the hours of 11am and 1pm. You should expect delays if you are travelling between these times and plan accordingly.
Installing the beams on bridge B 1/4 involves working from the bailey bridge. There will be periodic delays throughout the day as each beam is installed.
The first of the new bridge beams was successfully transported to the site on Wednesday. Each beam:
is 25 metres long
1140mm wide
900mm deep
weighs 43 tonnes.
On tight corners a second driver steers the rear axle of the truck independently. The combination of the bad weather and the need for the drivers to determine the best method to negotiate each corner meant that the first trip took 3 hours 20 minutes. The second trip on Thursday was completed in an hour and a half.
The remaining six beams for the first bridge will continue to be delivered at a rate of one a day over the next week with the final one delivered next Friday.
Motorists can expect delays between 11am and 1pm during that time.
Bridge B1/4
Rigging the reinforcing and formwork on the northern abutment is almost complete and the contractor is planning to pour the concrete on Monday.
The seven metre abutment will require 90 cubic metres (20 truckloads) of concrete and will be poured in a single continuous pour.
Once the abutment has been poured the area behind it will be backfilled then the bridge will be ready for the beams to be placed.
Bridge B1/5
The piers for the northern abutment were poured on Tuesday. At the same time temporary debris netting was being placed on the cut face behind the site of the southern abutment to protect the contractor’s staff from falling rocks.
Drilling has now started on the southern piers. The new abutment will be nine metres high, almost twice the height of the southern abutment at bridge B1/4.
Traffic
The contractor is working extended hours on site. Please be aware that as a result of this you may encounter more traffic on the road in the early morning and in the evenings than you would normally expect.
On Monday concrete trucks will be on the road throughout the day as the 20 truckloads of concrete being delivered to bridge B1/4 will require 40 trips. There will be minor delays at the bridge during the day as the concrete trucks move on to the site.
Please take care and obey the temporary speed limits when using the temporary section of road including the bailey bridge.
The speed limit is there for both your safety and the safety of the workers on the site. There are still a number of cases of vehicles travelling through the site at excessive speed and putting everyone at risk.
There will be a bridge beam delivered to the site each day between the hours of 11am and 1pm. You should expect delays if you are travelling between these times and plan accordingly.
Delays to the existing construction programme
Work on the replacement of the bridges is behind schedule. This is the result of a combination of factors.
In particular:
Problems have been encountered when drilling the piles below the river level. The rising river level during periods of high or prolonged rainfall has lead to water infiltration into the bore holes, which have delayed drilling.
Rock levels have not been exactly where they were expected to be, and additional drilling has been required to properly found the footings.
At the second bridge the original abutment was not founded on rock as originally anticipated. The new abutment has been redesigned to be significantly higher than was originally anticipated.
Every effort was made to avoid delays of this type during the design and investigation stages of the work. However setbacks of this nature do occur when work is carried out below ground, and the council focus is now on minimising their long term impact.
Because of these delays the road will not be open during the coming school holidays.
Access to Staglands and all the properties as far as No.2420 from the Upper Hutt end of the road will be maintained throughout this time
Proposed changes to the programme
The council, the engineer and the contractor have been meeting to discuss the options available to bring the work back on to programme and to ensure that the final completion date is met. It has been agreed that the contractor will begin work on the third bridge as soon as possible rather than wait until after the 1st of August, and build the second and third bridges at the same time.
The earlier commencement date will mean that if the work runs to programme, the road will be reopened in the middle of September. It also provides a buffer between the expected completion date and the beginning of the next school holidays, to allow for any additional unforeseen delays at the third bridge.
Upcoming road delays
From Wednesday 13 July to Friday 22 July the contractor will be transporting the first of the new bridge beams to the site. This will involve one oversize load a day Monday to Friday. The delivery is expected to take approximately one hour to travel from Gillespies Road to the bridge site and is planned to be carried out between 11am and 1pm. The size and weight of the beams means that significant delays can be expected in both directions while the transporter is travelling into the site.
From the second timber truss bridge (B1/5 located just past property No. 2420, which is on the Waikanae side of Staglands) to the summit. During this period Staglands will still be open and can be accessed from the Upper Hutt end of Akatarawa Road.
Reason:
This is the first of the planned road closures to allow the demolition replacement of bridge B1/5.
Every effort will be made to reopen the road at an earliest date possible. Some of the work to be carried out is weather dependent so the actual reopening date cannot be confirmed at this time.
Please note:
During the time that the road is closed for the construction of bridge B1/5 a footbridge will be in place to provide pedestrian and cycle access through the site.
From the second timber truss bridge (B1/5 located just past property No. 2420, which is on the Waikanae side of Staglands) to the summit.
During this period Staglands will still be open and can be accessed from the Upper Hutt end of Akatarawa Road.
Reason:
The road will be closed in the interest of public safety, to allow work to be carried out on foundation testing for the replacement of bridges B1/5 & B1/6.
Every effort will be made to reopen the road at an earlier date if possible.
This programme will see the replacement of three bridges along Akatarawa Road, approximately 13-17km from the SH2 junction. The bridges have reached the end of their economic life and are required to be replaced for reasons of safety and to keep the road open for access and through traffic.
The contract to construct the three new bridges has been awarded to Brian Perry Civil (a division of The Fletcher Construction Company Ltd). Work is scheduled to begin shortly with bridge B1/4 (beside the Wellesley Camp). The contractor will install a bailey bridge while the work is carried out allowing the road to remain open while the old bridge is demolished and the new bridge is constructed.
Bridge B1/5 will be replaced during the second school term and bridge B1/6 during the third school term. Each of these bridges will require the road to be closed for a five week period. A foot bridge will be provided for access across the river during those times.
The contractor will carry out a letter drop to all Akatarawa Road residents once the date for each road closure has been confirmed. We will also notify of the road closures on our website and via email (if you register).
Tenders for the construction of the three new bridges closed in November. A successful tenderer has been selected and approved by the Council. This tender was within the Council’s budget. The consultant is now in the process of awarding the contract.
The tender included the provisions for:
a bailey bridge at Bridge B1/4 (by Wellesley Camp) to provide access for vehicle traffic throughout the period that the existing bridge is demolished and a new bridge is constructed
a footbridge at bridge B1/5 and then B1/6 when these bridges are demolished and the new bridges are constructed
dismantling and delivery of one of the bridges to Staglands for display in the future.
While every effort will be made to minimise disruptions, earthworks and the delivery of equipment and materials to the site will cause some delays.
The consultant will now finalise the construction programme with the contractor and these key dates will be publicised shortly.
Work on bridge B1/4 will commence in early 2011 (most likely February/March).
Work on the other two bridges will follow once bridge B1/4 is completed. Each of these bridges (B1/5 and B1/6) will require a five week road closure in order to complete the works, but the contract requires that the road is open during the school holidays.
Akatarawa Road Bridge Replacement Programme | Monday 11 October
The tender for the construction of the three new bridges has now been advertised. Tenders close on 29 October 2010 and the successful tender should be awarded by the middle of November 2010.
For contractors who are interested, a copy of the tender (Ref. LGOL-482643) can be obtained from Tenderlink - www.lgtenders.co.nz
Akatarawa Road Bridge Replacement Programme | Friday 10 September
At the City Services Committee meeting on Wednesday 8 September an agenda item on options for upgrading Akatarawa Road between Upper Hutt and the Kapiti Coast was considered by Council.
The design phase of this project is now coming to a conclusion. A building consent has been issued by Upper Hutt City Council for the first bridge (B1/4) by Wellesley Camp.
Site investigations have been completed for the other two bridges (B1/5 and B1/6) and the design will be finished in the next few days. It is expected that a building and resource consent application will be lodged next week.
A resource consent application for bridge B1/4 has been lodged with Greater Wellington and it is hoped that a consent will be issued shortly.
The contract to construct the three bridges will go out to public tender in September 2010.
Akatarawa Road Bridge Replacement Programme | Monday 12 July
In May the Council gave its approval to extend the the existing contract for the design of a bridge to replace bridge B1/4 to include bridges B1/5 and B1/6.
The site investigations at these two additional bridges are now well advanced and the consultant has begun the design phase for them.
At the present time it is expected that a contract for the replacement of all three bridges will be out for tender in September/October.
At the last full Council meeting Council agreed to fund the additional costs to construct the three bridges but asked that retaining vehicle access throughout the contract be investigated.
We have approached this in two ways:
we have investigated the cost of providing a bailey bridge:
a.
to install and maintain a bailey bridge on the downstream (shorter span) side of the new bridge through out the life of the contract is estimated to cost $115,000. However there would be at least a one week closure of the road whilst the existing bridge was removed to make room for the bailey bridge.
b.
to install and maintain a bailey bridge on the upstream (longer span) side of the new bridge through out the life of the contract is estimated to cost about $170,000. There would be no road closure with this option.
most experienced bridging contractors will have had experience at maintaining access throughout a contract and probably have suitable materials in their yard from which to competitively fabricate a temporary access. We have therefore instructed the design consultant to include in the tender documents items requiring companies tendering to submit prices for:
a.
maintaining pedestrian access throughout the contract.
b.
maintaining vehicular access throughout the contract.
The second approach is likely to give us the most cost-effective result so we will wait till the tender closes and then report back on the options for maintaining and funding access.
For more information please contact the councils’ Technical Support Unit on 527 2152.
What consultation has been carried out with the public?
The replacement of the Akatarawa Bridges is a project that has been included in the Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) since 2009. The replacement of the first bridge (B1/4) was included in the Annual Plan for the 2009/2010 financial year. Both these plans had extended public consultation periods, including public meetings.
What will be discussed at the Council meeting on 19 May 2010?
The original budget for the replacement of each bridge was set at $1M. The Council also expressed a desire to preserve the existing bridge as a heritage item if possible and to keep any road closure to a minimum. Initial investigations have: identified that the lowest possible cost to replace the bridge is very likely to exceed the budget set by Council; and also quantified the additional cost to save the old bridge and to reduce the time the road is closed. In order for the work to proceed Council needs to approve a new budget. The meeting on Wednesday 19 May 2010 will consider the budget. If Council approves the additional expenditure then additional funding will also need to be sought from New Zealand Transport Agency for their share of the cost.
Why the short notice of the Council meeting on Wednesday 19 May 2010? The first opportunity for Council to consider the proposed change to the budget is the full Council meeting on Wednesday 19 May. The meeting date and the agenda were publicised in the normal manner. The letter drop carried out on Monday was done as an additional means of ensuring that all residents of Akatarawa Road were made aware of the issues to be discussed.
How long will the road be closed for? The length of time that the road is closed will depend on the option chosen and the amount that Council is able to pay for the work. The estimate of five weeks for the option that was closest to the budget was provided by the Consultant based on past experience. Some contractors may have techniques or methods that will allow them to do the necessary work in a shorter time and this is a factor that will be considered when the construction work is tendered.
If the road is closed for five weeks:
What about access for emergency service vehicles (e.g. ambulances or fire engines)? Emergency services will be advised and a contingency plan for emergency access is being prepared. Affected residents will get a copy of the plan with contact details once it has been completed.
When the road has been closed in the past, emergency services have been advised and have directed the response from the open end of the road. Closing the road will not affect telephone communications.
What about rubbish collection?
We will make temporary arrangements with the refuse contractor e.g. relocate the present collection "box" to the Upper Hutt side of the closed bridge with walking access through the construction site. Commercial collectors will need to be advised that access will be from the Waikanae end of Akatarawa Road.
What about mail delivery?
Initial discussion has been had with NZ Post and they consider that acceptable options can be provided. We will advise nearer the time.
What about access to school buses? Options to address this will be considered once the detailed design has been completed and the work is closer to commencing.
What about affected businesses on Akatarawa Road? We will discuss any closure with those businesses. We will try to work with them to time the work to minimise any disruptions.
What happens if the road to Waikanae is closed? The road being closed at both ends is something that has occurred in the past, and is something that will occur in the future. If this occurs, both Upper Hutt City Council and Kapiti Coast District Council will work to reopen the road as soon as possible. With winter approaching it is an appropriate time for residents of Akatarawa Road to check their own preparations for such an event. Information about what you need to do to prepare can be obtained from Civil Defence.
What other options are UHCC considering for maintaining access? A vehicle ford has been considered but is not likely to be suitable at this site. There are difficulties with access to the river and safety risks for users. In particular the way the depth of the river can change rapidly during periods of rain is a hazard that cannot not be managed safely. A design for a temporary footbridge at bridge B1/4 is being developed and will be included in the construction tender. Contractors will also be invited to provide alternative options (e.g. a bailey bridge) that provide a higher standard of access.
How can I get further information and keep up to date with progress? Click here if you would like to be notified of future updates via email.
Bridge B1/4 was programmed to be replaced in the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 financial years. As part of their review of capital works spending New Zealand Transport Agency asked if the construction date for bridges B1/5 and B1/6 could be brought forward. Council subsequently approved their share of the additional funding allowing the construction date to be set earlier than expected. This means that all three bridges are expected to be replaced by the end of the 2010/11 financial year, i.e. June 2011.
The existing design contract with Beca Consultants was extended to cover the design, tendering and supervision of the construction of all three bridges.
Core drilling to determine the foundation conditions at bridges B1/5 and B1/6 and the other investigations necessary to determine the design will begin shortly. This work should not affect access along Akatarawa Road.
In order to provide the best value for money to the public and to ensure that the replacement of the three bridges is coordinated, the tender for bridge B1/4 has been delayed to allow all three bridges to be tendered as a single contract.
Preliminary design has been completed for bridge B1/4. The preliminary design identified a number of issues including:
The estimated price to construct this bridge has increased from 1M to $1.55M. This is the result of site conditions that were determined during the investigation phase. It is expected that there will be a similar increase in the estimated price for the other two bridges. The additional expenditure must be approved by council for the work to proceed.
Because of site constraints retaining the existing bridge as a heritage structure would almost double the cost of the work (from $1.55M to $2.88M) and is therefore not affordable.
These site constraints also mean that the most economic option will require the road to be closed for an estimated period of five weeks per bridge.
A report has been prepared outlining these issues. This will be presented for consideration at the council meeting on Wednesday 19 May, starting at 4.30pm. Any member of the public with an interest in this matter is welcome to attend that meeting and to speak if they wish.
Upper Hutt City Council has appointed engineering consultants Beca Carter Hollings and Ferner Ltd (Beca) to design the new Akatarawa Road Bridge (B1/4) where the wooden truss bridge by Wellesley Camp on the Upper Hutt side of Staglands is located.
The design will consider if possible, options to retain the existing bridge and to keep the road open during the construction phase. It is intended that provisions will be made for cyclists and pedestrians either via the new design or the existing bridge.
Local firm Griffiths Drilling will undertake core sample drilling this week to determine the ground condition for the foundations. The construction phase is expected to commence in mid to late April 2010.
It is hoped that the road will remain open throughout the construction period although delays are likely and as the existing bridge is located in the middle of the road corridor it may be necessary to close the road for short periods of time. Every endeavour will be made to keep delays and potential closures to a minimum.
The other two wooden bridges on the Waikanae side of Staglands will be replaced in subsequent years and will be confirmed through the Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) processes.
For more information please contact the councils' Technical Support Unit on (04) 527-2152.
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