Gap closes at new Mangere Bridge

The largest bridge being built in New Zealand – the 650-metre duplicate Mangere Bridge over the Manukau Harbour - reaches two significant milestones before Christmas.

On Friday (December 11) two of the country’s largest cranes will work in unison to lift 245 tonnes of land span into position at the northern end of the bridge.

This is understood to be one of the largest crane lifts attempted in this country.

Also this week, the first completed sections of the bridge’s deck are being joined.

Thirty cubic metres of concrete will be pumped 20 metres skyward tonight (Wednesday) to create the join. The result will be 200 metres of joined up deck, on which the Manukau Harbour Crossing project can begin installing barriers for the new motorway lanes across the harbour.

The $230 million Manukau Harbour Crossing project is doubling motorway capacity on the Southwestern motorway, State Highway 20, between Onehunga and Mangere.

The NZ Transport Agency’s Regional Director for Auckland and Northland, Wayne McDonald, says this is a key section of the planned Western Ring Route, which will provide an alternative to State Highway One through Auckland.

Construction of the bridge, which began in early 2008, is now 70 per cent complete.

“It’s looking increasingly likely that the bridge will be completed ahead of its original completion date in early 2011,” Mr McDonald said.”

The new bridge will carry four lanes of southbound traffic, including one lane just for local traffic between Onehunga and Mangere Bridge Village.

The existing bridge will be refurbished to carry four lanes of northbound traffic.

ENDS

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