NZ Transport Agency confident Transmission Gully delay won't spread to gorge project

Monday, 8 June 2020

Work has restarted on the billion-dollar Transmission Gully project north of Wellington.

The NZ Transport Agency is confident its new Manawatū Gorge highway won't be delayed despite one of its builders, HEB Construction, remaining caught in the delayed Transmission Gully project.

October this year is when early work is expected to start - pending consent - on the new $620 million four-lane highway between Manawatū and Hawke's Bay.

Main construction on Te Ahu ā Tūranga would start in January 2021 and the project is expected to be completed in 2024.

The Transmission Gully motorway north of Wellington was due to open in late 2020.

But this comes as HEB is stuck in the hills north of Wellington, part of joint venture CPB-HEB building the delayed billion-dollar Transmission Gully project.

* Rumours rife over Transmission Gully construction as negotiations drag

Delays in Transmission Gully are not expected to flow on to Manawatū highway despite a shared builder.

* Transmission Gully project 'likely' pushed out to 2021

Transport Minister Phil Twyford said the Transport Agency told him it was not expecting delays in the new highway.

CPB-HEB, the builder in the public-private partnership, is now part of negotiations nailing down a new completion date and funding for the massive project.

Rumours have put the Transmission Gully completion date at December 2021 - others say the project won't be completed till 2022.

Work under way attempting to clear the Manawatū Gorge road in 2017. (File photo)

A spokeswoman for HEB said the company was contractually obliged to refer questions to the Agency.

Agency owner interface manager Lonnie Dalzell said it did not expect 'any staffing issues resulting in delays'.

Work has been ongoing on Transmission Gully since 2015.

It remained confident 'in our alliance’s ability to deliver the project once we get to the construction phase'.

CPB-HEB is the joint venture tasked with building Transmission Gully in a public-private partnership.

Transport Minister Phil Twyford said the Agency advised him it was not expecting any delays due to staffing issues.

'Our Government has committed funding to make sure that this important highway can be built as soon as possible.'

Transmission Gully was planned to open in April, before moving back to November 2020 - then next year.

The November date and an agreement by the Agency to pay an additional $190m came after delays caused by the likes of the Kaikōura earthquake.

Then the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the project for weeks - pushing the completion date into 2021 at the earliest.

As revealed by Stuff, there have been reports that CPB had requested back its gear - including vehicles and laptops - from HEB in what appeared to be a falling out between the companies.

Neither company would comment on this, the Agency saying it was in negotiations with the companies.

The Agency announced last year it had selected a consortium called Advance - made up of Fulton Hogan, HEB Construction, Aurecon and WSP-OPUS - to build the new four-lane highway between Manawatū and Hawke's Bay.

It would replace State Highway 3 through the gorge, which was closed in April 2017 after landslips blocked the road.

Traffic including trucks heading across the island must take the steep and winding Saddle Rd near Ashhurst or the equally winding Pahiatua Track to the south.

Dalzell said the proposed process for the consent application included a direct referral to the Environment Court, 'which will help ensure that main works can commence as quickly as possible'.