CSP helps out on SH1 - Bombay to Hampton Downs
The Waikato Expressway is getting a lot of attention along SH1 between Pokeno and Cambridge, with a number of major projects underway. In conjunction with this the NZ Transport Agency, under the Safe Roads Programme, has also started work on improving the section of highway between Bombay and Hampton Downs.
The project includes new median and roadside barriers, along with rumble strips along the route. The intention is that these improvements will reduce the risk of head-on crashes for motorists.
Broadspectrum, the main contractor undertaking the improvement work, is currently undertaking the earthworks for this stretch of the highway. With very poor soil strength for a very large portion of the project there has been a considerable amount of work done to ensure a solid foundation for the installation of new barrier systems.
Any barrier system installed must comply with AS/NZS 3845.1: 2015, Specification TNZ B/2 – Construction of unbound granular pavement layers, and TNZ M/4 – Basecourse aggregate. This is to ensure the barrier system will perform correctly as tested. Poor soil must be removed and replaced with compacted backfill before the barrier system can be installed.
Dean Lawson, Director of Combined Road & Traffic Services, is in charge of the barrier installation. “We were very grateful to CSP who at short notice were able to supply 2000m of Flex-Rail® W-Section. In fact we ended up ordering 4000m in the end and it meant we were able to continue the project uninterrupted.”
“We are glad we were able to help Dean out at such short notice,” says Bruce Stephens, Sales Engineer for CSP. “This saved them a significant amount of time, as they didn’t have to pack up the site and move onto another area of the project and return at a later date. Dean knows he can call us if he ever gets stuck again.” |
The safety improvements being made are expected to reduce deaths and serious injuries on this busy and important stretch of Expressway. This work will also bring the safety standards closer to those of the newest sections of the Waikato Expressway.
The $12 million project will be completed towards the end of the year.