A revision of the “early 2011” completion time for New Zealand’s largest bridge construction project is looking likely.

Construction of the duplicate Mangere Bridge across the Manukau Harbour is moving ahead of schedule. More than half of the bridge’s 142 deck segments have been completed.

Motorway widening south of the bridge will be completed by Christmas 2009. North of the bridge, it will be completed by April 2010. The major outstanding work will be the final approaches to the new bridge and refurbishment of the existing bridge, work that can only be done when the new bridge is complete.

This year’s milestones on the Manukau Harbour Crossing have included:

• Full opening of the new Rimu Road overbridge, including reinstatement of the west to east link between Mangere Bridge Village and Mahunga Drive
• Completion of the foundations for the new Mangere Bridge
• The planting of more than 100,000 natives beside the motorway south of the Mangere Bridge
• Completion of the new southbound lanes across the Onehunga Causeway
• Completion of the new southbound and northbound lanes south of the Mangere Bridge
• Opening of the new Hastie Avenue foot bridge
• Major drainage works and planting at the Gloucester Park motorway interchange
• Start of work on the new Beachcroft foot bridge

The Manukau Harbour Crossing has won three major awards so far in 2009:

• Certificate of Merit, New Zealand Contractors’ Federation (Auckland branch) Environmental Awards
• Overall winner, AB Equipment Trophy, New Zealand Contractors’ Federation (Auckland branch) Safety Awards and winner for the Projects over $10m section
• Landscaping Award, New Zealand Concrete Society (for the sculpted rock wall on the Walmsley Road motorway off–ramp).