Expressway alliance wins top earthworks award

The builders of the Te Rapa section of the Waikato Expressway – the Te Rapa Alliance - have won Waikato Regional Council’s earthworks site of the year award due to the project’s very high standards of erosion and sediment control.

Work on the eight kilometre roading project between Horotiu and Avalon Drive got underway in September 2010. Earth works have involved hauling 1.3 million cubic metres of fill. More than two thirds of the fill has been able to be transported off public roads, which has helped ease traffic congestion and reduce costs. The project is due for completion by the end of 2012, several months ahead of the original schedule.

The Te Rapa Alliance – which designed the project and is carrying out construction – consists of the New Zealand Transport Agency, Fulton Hogan Limited and Opus International Consultants Limited.

The council’s land and soil programme manager Grant Blackie said the award to the Te Rapa Alliance acknowledged the project so far had been an “excellent example of best practice and compliance with resource consent conditions”.

Mr Blackie said the council also acknowledged the compliance role of Fulton Hogan Limited sub-contractors Hick Bros Civil Construction Limited and Waiau Pa Bulk Haulage Limited.

“All parties who have been involved in making this site a success are to be congratulated.

“It is very encouraging to see such a large project being undertaken in a way that takes such careful account of the need to protect the environment,” Mr Blackie said.

The earthworks site of the year award was introduced as a way of highlighting and promoting high quality, environmentally sensitive earthworks projects.

“Poorly carried out earthworks can impact on aquatic ecology and water quality in our region,” said Mr Blackie.

“One of the council’s three flagship goals is to sustain land and water resources in our region and it is great to see NZTA, Fulton Hogan and Opus working so hard at Te Rapa to contribute to that goal.”