Auckland Harbour Bridge strengthening – works switch to southbound box girder

The NZ Transport Agency reports that initial strengthening of the Auckland Harbour Bridge on the northbound box girder (clip-on) is almost complete and work has predominantly moved over to the southbound clip-on.

The two-and-a-half-year strengthening project started in August last year and has seen over 350 tonnes of steel already welded and bolted to the northbound clip-on.

“By next year, when the project is completed, we will have a stronger bridge,” says the NZTA’s Regional Director for Auckland and Northland, Wayne McDonald.

“Our team has been working day and night for a year now and we are making good progress. The logistics with transporting and fixing hundreds of tonnes of steel into the small confines of the bridge, while up to 200,000 vehicles drive across daily, proved challenging,” Mr McDonald says.

Night-time closures of the clip-ons are required to keep them as still as possible for welding and bolting under the deck. Restrictions are also in place for heavy vehicles to avoid extra weight on the southbound clip-on during initial strengthening works.

Lane closures
A traffic management programme has been developed to keep workers and motorists safe during strengthening. Closures of the southbound clip-on (lanes one and two) and Shelly Beach Road off-ramp will be required five nights a week, Sunday to Thursday from around 8.30pm until approximately 6am (and approximately 7pm until 9am some Saturday nights) from August through to April 2010. Use the Fanshawe Street southbound off-ramp as an alternative to the Shelly Beach Road off-ramp.

There will also be closures of the northbound clip-on and Curran Street on-ramp some nights in August and September between approximately 9.30pm and 4.30am Sunday to Thursday (and some Saturday nights between approximately 7pm and 9am). Use the Fanshawe Street northbound on-ramp as an alternative to the Curran Street on-ramp.

“All work on the bridge has to be carefully planned to minimise impact on all bridge users,” Mr McDonald says.

“The NZTA particularly appreciates the support of the trucking industry and recognises that shutting lanes on the bridge has had an impact on drivers transporting freight around our region. For the strengthening of the northbound clip-on there was excellent compliance from the truckies and we’re confident this will continue now that we’ve switched to the southbound clip-on,” Mr McDonald added.

The strengthening project is part of the NZTA’s ongoing maintenance of the bridge, and the Transport Agency thanks all bridge users for their co-operation and patience during the project.

ENDS

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