City Rail construction on track at Mt Eden

Caryn Wilkinson Reporter from Community News

Tunnelling work is steaming ahead under central Auckland as part of the City Rail Link project.

Construction during the holiday period has kept the infrastructure project on track for Tunnel Boring Machine work to start at the Mt Eden site in April.

“Since last Boxing Day our tireless crews have been going flat-stick in some pretty hot conditions and with hardly a breather – working seven days a week and sometimes around the clock,” said Nick Adams, North Auckland Line Deputy Construction Manager for the Link Alliance.

“Mt Eden’s big and complex with a lot going on and the holiday break’s been a great opportunity to keep the foot down firmly on the construction pedal and accelerate work. "

Mt Eden is home to the southern portal of the City Rail Link tunnel, New Zealand’s largest transport infrastructure project which will connect with the existing western Line.

The Link Alliance is delivering the main stations, tunnels and rail systems for the project.

Adams said the alliance's collaboration with KiwiRail over its closure of the western line for maintenance helped workers to forge ahead.

“With the line temporarily closed to trains, it made it safer for us to work in and around the rail corridor and complete a lot of our necessary work.”

The Link Alliance’s programme included track changes to prepare for the City Rail Link connection, relocating utilities, building retaining walls and new drains, piling and work associated with new bridges.

Meanwhile, there has been ongoing mining of the first 51 metres of tunnel to pave the way for the tunnel boring machine.

Go to www.cityraillink.co.nz... for more information.

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