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Drilling machines have moved in and are digging boreholes on the first section of the Warkworth to Te Hana motorway, as part of the coalition government’s Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme.
Around 120 exploratory holes will be sunk at depths of 20 to 200 metres along the project route between now and January. Each borehole will take between five and 10 days to drill.
NZTA Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said the investigative work would provide more information about local ground conditions, which would aid design, help them understand key risks and inform project costs.
“Over the next two years, teams are undertaking a range of activities including geotechnical drilling, mapping and surveys,” a spokesperson said.
NZTA said it was working to minimise disruption to local residents and businesses by carrying out the investigations “in discreet, safe locations”.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown said the investigative works were starting on the Warkworth to Te Hana section as it was the most advanced of the three RoNS being planned for the Northland Expressway project, with designations and consents already in place.
“NZTA is advancing the remainder of property acquisitions required along the Warkworth to Te Hana phase of the Northland Expressway in order to deliver this project as quickly as possible.
“The Northland Expressway is one of the largest infrastructure projects in New Zealand’s history that will bring significant benefits to Kiwis travelling in and out of the Northland region. Starting investigative work is a critical first step in the development of this project.”
