Transit New Zealand prepares for Auckland Harbour Bridge upgrade

Transit New Zealand will start preparations this month for upgrading the Auckland Harbour Bridge clip-ons (box girders) to ensure they stay in good condition for the next 20 to 30 years.

The approximately $45 million strengthening project is part of Transit’s ongoing maintenance programme.

"The clip-ons are stronger today than when they opened. We are reinforcing them so they continue to meet the growing traffic demand,” says Transit New Zealand Northern Network Operations Manager Joseph Flanagan.

Preparation work includes improving access, ventilation, lighting and power supply for the constructions workers who will be working on the clip ons.

Strengthening work will start in July this year and will take approximately two and half years to complete. Teams will work around the clock to get the project finished as quickly as possible.

The work will involve fixing more than 700 tonnes of steel to the box girders. It is expected that there will be night closures of the clip-ons, one direction at a time. Transit and its contractors are working on detailed plans for staging the work to minimise potential disruption to motorists

One or two lanes of the bridge are regularly closed at night for maintenance anyway, so it is hoped the situation will not be significantly different to normal. More details will be released nearer the time once final construction plans are complete.