Crane makes its way back to the Waikanae River

The big crane that lifted the first beams onto the Waikanae River Bridge is returning to lift two more spans from the northern river bank.

To make sure everyone is kept safe, the northern river path will be closed for two weeks – from 7.30am Tuesday 26 April to 6pm Sunday 8 May while the Super-Tee beams are placed over the river. If the work is completed early, the path will be reopened early.

Mackays to Peka Peka (M2PP) Project Manager Alan Orange said this time the crane will be fitted with a 63m-long boom and will have 135T of counterweight on the crane, plus an additional 200 tonnes of counterweight suspended behind it.

“Our crawler crane will look much more impressive this time because it has to extend further to lift the beams onto the span that crosses the river. River path users will be able to view the crane working from the southern river path, which will remain open,” Mr Orange says.

Once this span is in place, the northern river path will reopen, then close again for the last time in late May to allow placement of the final two spans of beams.

Mr Orange said the need to transport the bridge beams from the Otaihanga Precast Yard to the project site on the northern bank of the river will mean the public are likely to see them on route to the river.

“The only route is the existing highway across the river bridge to Waikanae, and into Te Moana Road. Over the next month we’ll be transporting 44 beams, each approximately 38 metres long and weighing 95 tonnes. And another six crosshead beams – each weighing 150 tonnes – will be transported from our second precast yard at Otaki.”

The new Waikanae River Bridge is 180 metres long with five spans, and is the largest structure on the MacKays to Peka Peka (M2PP) Expressway.

More information about M2PP is available on the Transport Agency’s website www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/wellington-northern-corridor/mackays-to-peka-peka

ENDS

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