Temporary asphalt plant installed for Hamilton section of expressway
Tuesday, 28 July 2020
The Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway will get its own asphalt plant becausethe 22km piece of road requires more than 120,000 tonnes of asphalt.
It’s the final piece of the 102km expressway running from the Bombay Hills to south of Cambridge.
The asphalt plant will be able to produce 140 tonnes an hour, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency acting portfolio delivery manager, Jo Wilton said.
“These volumes are too great for local suppliers who also have other customers and demands.
**READ MORE:
* Huntly section of Waikato Expressway open to traffic
* Major joint venture sees Ruakura Inland Port set to open within two years
* Work doesn't stop for Hamilton section of Waikato Expressway
* Port of Tauranga partners with Waikato-Tainui owned Ruakura inland port
* Work starts on Hamilton section of Waikato Expressway
**
“This asphalt plant will enable us to produce the critical asphalt on site, where and when we require it, with output focussed solely on the needs of this project.”
The new section is due to open by late 2021. It is not yet clear what effect the Covid-19 lockdown will have on that timeframe.
The plant will be built on farmland near the Ruakura Interchange, so access to and from the plant will be via the interchange.
“The land for the plant has been leased from project neighbours Tainui Group Holdings, and the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway is a driver in the development of TGH’s inland port, which will take shape on this land.”
Higgins will build the asphalt plant with commission support from Swiss equipment supplier Ammann.
The approximate cost of the plant is $4million.
This will result in a lot less construction traffic on local roads, and will create about six new jobs.
“The wider project employs roughly 300 staff and subcontractors.”
The plant will only supply the Hamilton section. It will be dismantled at the end of construction and the land reinstated before being returned to Tainui Group Holdings.
The Alliance building the expressway is now considered the kaitiaki of the land where the plant is located.
“As a symbol of this partnership, the Alliance was presented with a taonga, a ceremonial paddle, which it will return when the asphalt plant is removed.”
Wilton said it’s not unusual for projects requiring high volumes of asphalt in a relatively short time frame to have a temporary plant installed.
“The Puhoi to Warkworth and Peka Peka to Ōtaki projects also have dedicated asphalt plants.”
Asphalt production is expected to begin in late October 2020.