News & Media Releases

Tauranga's New Harbour Bridge is on the Move

Tauranga Office

7 October, 2008

Harbour Bridge on NZ Transport Agency’s Harbour Link Project was launched on Friday 3 October; just over 22 years after the first push on the existing Harbour Bridge took place.

Work on constructing the bridge segment has been taking place in the specially constructed casting shed on the Tauranga side of the harbour.  The new bridge is to be built by gradually pushing sections out across the harbour.  The hydraulics to push out the segments are housed within the casting shed.

A total of 23 segments are required to complete the bridge – two are 23 metres long - while the remaining 21 segments will be 20 metres long.  The segment launched on Friday is one of the 23 metre long segments, and will travel from the Tauranga side across the harbour before touching down on the Mount causeway.

NZ Transport Agency’s project manager Kevin Reid said each segment launched will travel at a speed of approximately four metres per hour.

Four of the 11 piers for the new Harbour Bridge have been completed and the fifth crosshead was being poured while the first bridge segment was launched on Friday.  As the piers on the Tauranga side are being completed, the temporary staging is being removed and re-established on the Mount side to complete piers 7 to 11.  With the new Harbour Bridge is on its journey across Tauranga Harbour, it is a race to get the piers completed before the superstructure (bridge deck) catches up.

Once Stage 2 of the Harbour Link project is completed, a 525 metre viaduct with associated on and off ramps will connect with the 466 metre long new Harbour Bridge.  On the Mount Maunganui side, the road along the causeway will be four-laned and a second Aerodrome Bridge built.

For more information please contact:

Kevin Reid
NZ Transport Agency’s Harbour Link Project Manager
T 64 7 927 6008
M 64 21 285 6512
F 64 7 578 2909
kevin.reid@nzta.govt.nz

www.nzta.govt.nz

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