Northern Gateway Alliance to establish ALPURT B2 project office

Work will commence next week on a project office for the proposed ALPURT B2 motorway between Orewa and Puhoi.

Noting that construction of the motorway itself remained subject to Ministerial approval and an Order in Council, Transit New Zealand’s Regional Manager Wayne McDonald said there were a number of benefits in establishing an on-site presence during the planning phase of the project.

The office will be used by the Northern Gateway Alliance, which is currently developing the design of the proposed motorway and finalising its cost estimate for the project.

“Establishing the office will be of significant benefit to the design process and our construction methodology planning,” said Mr McDonald.

“It will provide the design team with better access to the proposed route and we will be able to supervise on-site work, including ongoing research initiatives, trials and environmental mitigation activities, much more closely.”

“If Ministerial approval to toll is received, having an office already on site will also help us make a quick start to construction, which is very important from a cost perspective.”

The Northern Gateway Alliance, which is project managing and designing the proposed toll road, plans to locate the office near the roundabout at the current termination of Auckland’s northern motorway at Grand Drive, Orewa. Access to the office will be via a road to be constructed off the roundabout.

The work, which is due to start on 4 October, includes the construction of an access road, car-park, building platform and associated drainage and facility services installation.

Mr McDonald said that prior to commencing work on the project office the Alliance would put a range of related environmental protection measures in place, including silt fences. Construction work on the office itself will begin in three or four weeks.

The Northern Gateway Alliance comprises Transit New Zealand, Fulton Hogan, Leighton Contractors, URS New Zealand, Tonkin & Taylor and Boffa Miskell.

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