Updates and newsletters
14 May 2013
Ellerslie Panmure Highway will be closed at night from 19 May
Trenching under Ellerslie Panmure Highway commences at night next week.
Work will be from Sunday to Thursday nights with full closures westbound from 9pm and eastbound from 10pm between the Panmure roundabout and Mt Wellington Highway.
Trenching is required at the Forge Way intersection (near Burger King) and near the roundabout.
Diversions will be in place up Potaka Lane and along Mountain Rd, as shown in the map below.
The work will be noisy, particularly over the first few nights when rock breaking is needed. Work will take
approximately two weeks.
We apologise to residents along the diversion route and near to the works for any disruption caused.
Service work on Morrin Road and Mt Wellington Highway soon
Work is continuing on the verge along Morrin Rd to divert underground services for road widening later this year.
We will also start work along the grass verges on Mt Wellington Highway south of Malone Rd and near Triangle Rd later in May.
Pedestrian routes and access to properties will be maintained.
15 May 2013
Van Damms Lagoon stormwater tunnel will impact on Ireland Road for several months
Work on an underground tunnelling project along Ireland Rd in Panmure has commenced and will continue for several months. Northpower is moving power cables underground as a first stage and is checking other services.
Then work will get under way on the pipe ‘jack’ needed to install drainage pipes between Van Damms Lagoon and the Panmure Basin up to 8m underground in some places.
The workers, who are really like miners, will excavate in front of the 1.2m diameter pipe from within the front section of pipe. The pipe is then ‘jacked’ forward from behind.
The jacking pits in the Ireland Rd Tree Grove are like mine shafts. Excavated spoil will be removed and new pipe sections lowered down. The pipe jacking equipment is at the bottom of the pit.
The two jacking pits, which will be dug before the pipe tunnelling can begin, are constructed by first driving sheet pile walls 8 metres down into the ground with vibrating hammers. Once the four walls are in place, the pit is excavated in between, with bracing placed at intervals to support the walls as the pit is excavated deeper. In this way, the rail embankment and road are safely supported during the excavation process.
Key steps (dates approximate)
Relocate services – May
Remove and prune some trees in the Tree Grove – mid-May
Set-up site compound - June
Install sheet piles walls for pits – early July
Excavate pits – Mid-July
Start pipe jacking – End-July
Lane narrowing and temporary speed limits will be in place for much of the rest of this year and Ireland Road may be occasionally be closed at night while this work takes place. Access to properties will be maintained.
19 March 2013
Nightwork and Mountwell Crescent from 24 March
Mountwell Cresent (where WINZ is off Forge Way) needs to be rebuilt at a higher level to tie into the new local road
currently being constructed over the new tunnel.
As Mountwell Crescent will need to be closed while the work is carried out, this work will be done at night, and the road
reopened each morning as one lane with no parking. Work will start before Easter and take around three months to complete. While there will not be loud rockbreaking, work is still expected to be noisy and we apologise for any inconvenience.
18 March 2013
Phase one work on the new AMETI road starts at Easter
Work excavating the new road will start just north of the Mountain Rd bridge before Easter. Then the road level gets built up near Morrin Rd supported by retaining walls. 
Excavation work is likely to involve rockbreaking and will be done during the day.
Where the new road links with the intersection of Morrin Rd, a lot of underground services need to be moved out of the way.
The first stage of this is to ‘pothole’ to confirm the exact location and depth of existing services. This work will start on Fraser Rd and the western side of Morrin Rd in the footpath and grass berm area. Access to businesses will be maintained.
At this stage traffic won’t be affected but later this year work across Morrin Rd will be needed which will need to be done at night to maintain traffic flows.
Tree Removal near Van Dammes Lagoon
Several very large plane trees near NCI by William Harvey Footbridge and Van Dammes Lagoon will be removed this Easter. Because of their proximity to the rail line, this work needs to be done over a long weekend when trains aren’t running. Nearby residents on Ireland Rd are likely to hear chainsaws and the wood chipping operation during daylight hours.
March 2013
New station starts going up
Steelwork for the new glass station building started going up in March, with the large roof section being lifted on in one piece at night after pre-assembling on the ground. The large scaffold ‘grandstand’ erected over the tracks at the edge of the station concourse provides a temporary working platform for installing the glass panels and other finishings and protects trains and passengers below.
The last of the 61 deep piles have been bored to depths of around 55 metres at the Ellerslie Panmure Highway Bridge site. Concrete foundations are now being completed over the piles to support the bridge columns.
In Easter when trains aren’t running, the first of the new bridge beams will be lifted and placed over the railway tracks.
Work on the abutments and ramps at each side is progressing well and traffic should be switched over from where it is currently running on the busway bridge around the middle of this year to allow us to complete the busway and open the new station later in the year.
Building bridges
25 January 2013
The second of two new bridges for Panmure is now under way. Take a look at where they are and how they are built.
Summer progress
The concrete sub-structure for the new station building was completed on 31 December 2012 with a large concrete pour completing the deck over the railway tracks at the south end of the station.
With a lot of work being done on the platforms over summer, the steel columns and beams for the new building are now under way.
With the permanent stairs on the pedestrian plaza in, the temporary scaffold stairs have been removed. A new set of stairs connecting the recently completed Mountain Rd plaza area to platform 2 (southbound trains) have been installed and will be opened to the public once handrails have been fitted.
January 2013
Fletcher and Auckland Transport have been busy on the AMETI project during the rail network shutdown over the holiday season. Work has progressed on both the new Panmure station and on the road tunnel project
At the Panmure Station the concrete floor for the new station building was finished and soon passengers will have new resurfaced platforms and permanent stairs. |
Work on the old Ellerslie-Panmure Highway bridge was completed and another section of the road tunnel roof was put in. Work on piles and support walls for the new Ellerslie-Panmure Highway bridge is about to begin. |
15 September 2012
A public information day was held in Panmure to outline further details of Phase 2 of the AMETI project.
Road tunnel excavation complete
17 August 2012
The 2500th truckload of rock has been removed for the new road tunnel being built next to Panmure Station. Excavations for the tunnel are now complete, with earth now being removed north of Mountain Rd for the ramp into it.
The western wall of the tunnel is almost complete with the last wall panel scheduled to be poured by the end of August. The first of 60 beams used to support the roof of the tunnel have now arrived. These will be stored on site and will start being put up later this year.
Precast columns supporting the eastern wall dividing the train station from the road tunnel will be complete by end of September. The eastern wall sections are also arriving as pre-cast units and have started to be installed.
The new north-south road linking Mt Wellington Highway and Morrin Rd will go through the tunnel.
The picture shows project manager Leon Wee on the site.
Mountain Rd works update
17 August 2012
The new road alignment between the bridge and Jellicoe Road is now backfilled to subbase level and all subsoil and storm water drainage is installed.
All twelve tree pits are now complete and currently we are preparing the new Mountain Road extension for upcoming kerb and channel which will be poured next month.
As a safety feature for cyclists and pedestrians, glass barriers 750mm high have now been installed on top of the concrete barriers along the northern side of the new Mountain Road bridge.
Works are ongoing on the plaza section of the new Mountain Road bridge. Construction continues on the plaza’s wall, footings and installation of stormwater drainage.
Busway bridge piles complete
17 August 2012
Piling for the busway bridge is now completed, with 24 pilings drilled 55m deep to reach solid rock. Work is now underway on pile capping beams that will support the main beams for the bridge.
The first of these is due to be placed on 2 September. Beams will be placed on the west side (spanning the new road) first, with beams on the east side (spanning the rail) about a month later.
The bridge will be used for the future busway, however from mid-December traffic will be moved on to it. This will allow demolition of the existing bridge so it can be replaced with a higher and longer bridge next year.
Panmure Station work
17 August 2012
The first piles for the new Panmure Station building have now been drilled and are scheduled to be complete on the eastern side by the end of August. The piling rig will then relocate to the western side in early September to complete the last of the piles.
Columns will then be constructed on the underground piles to support the station concourse and building over the train tracks.
Work continues on the pedestrian plaza with pedestrian access limited to a section of the plaza.
The permanent stairs that run down from the north side of the plaza will be installed over the next few months, allowing the temporary scaffold stairs to be removed.
Mountain Rd bridge now open to vehicles
30 July 2012 (updated)
The new Mountain Road Bridge is now open to vehicles as well as pedestrians. This is the first part of the AMETI Panmure project to be complete.
Speed restrictions are in place in the area as construction work continues.
Work on realigning Mountain Rd to the intersection of Jellicoe and Pleasant View roads is scheduled to be complete by the end of August.
Late last year the old Mountain Road Bridge was demolished to construct a new bridge. The new bridge is higher and longer to accommodate the electrification of the rail network and a new road underneath.
It also has major improvements for pedestrians and cyclists. It also improves access between the West and East Park’n’Rides on either side of the Panmure train station.
Media release: 24 July 2012 (updated)
Mountain Rd bridge opens to vehicles on 30 July
From 30 July, the newly-built Mountain Road Bridge will be open to vehicles as well as pedestrians. This will be the first part of the AMETI Panmure project to be complete.
The bridge and approach roads are currently being sealed in preparation for the opening. Work is continuing on realigning Mountain Rd to the intersection of Jellicoe and Pleasant View roads and is scheduled to be complete by the end of August or early September.
Late last year the previous Mountain Road Bridge was demolished to construct a new bridge. The new bridge is higher and longer to accommodate the electrification of the rail network and a new road underneath.
It also has major improvements for pedestrians and cyclists. It will also improve access between the West and East Park’n’Rides on either side of the Panmure train station.
There will be speed restrictions along this section of Mountain Rd because construction is still underway in the area.
Excavation for new road tunnel
(updated)
Excavation of 44,000m3 or 5000 truckloads of hard basalt rock for the new road tunnel and approaches to it is almost complete.
Work is underway on the foundations and walls for the next stage to create the 220m concrete covered box that the new road will run through.
The west tunnel retaining wall, which has an art design embedded in it, is progressing well. Backfilling behind it will soon begin. Most of the footing for creating the east tunnel wall is almost ready for the wall construction to begin(click on image to enlarge).
A new two lane road, between Mt Wellington Highway near Van Damm’s Lagoon and Merton Rd, will go through the tunnel in the station area.
New Panmure Station pedestrian plaza opens
28 May 2012
A new pedestrian plaza making it easier to get between both platforms at Panmure Station opens on Thursday 28 May. Part of the major station upgrade, it is initially only accessed by stairs, with future work including the installation of lifts.
Other recent changes at Panmure Station include:
pedestrian access to platforms via the new Mountain Rd bridge
The stairs to platforms from Ellerslie-Panmure Highway are closed
The Ellerslie-Panmure Highway footpath on the station side is closed between Forge Way and Panmure roundabout
Note that there will be disabled access via all routes, except the new pedestrian plaza until lifts are installed later this year.
These changes are necessary to ensure public safety while work on AMETI is carried out.
Piling work commences for Busway Bridge
Piling work on 60m deep piles for the busway bridge will continue to involve some night and Sunday work beside Ellerslie Panmure Highway.
The new bridge is at the station next to Ellerslie-Panmure Highway and is part of the station upgrade. The piling is noisy work and we apologise for any disruption caused.
Unfortunately this work has to be carried out separately to other construction activities happening in the area during the day, so there will be another seven nights of piling over the last two weeks of July (click on image to enlarge).
We are working some Sundays to minimise the number of nights worked. (Click on image for bigger picture)
Twenty four piles are being drilled 60m deep to reach solid rock for the bridge at the station which will be for buses.
Piling work is also being done for the foundations for a new Panmure Station building. Until the pile holes are filled with concrete polymer, an inert liquid, provides support for them. The polymer is pumped between the holes and large water tanks, where it is cleaned, stored and re-used on new piles.
The new bridge is due for completion at the end of the year.
30 May 2012
Auckland Transport is applying to Auckland Council for consents for the new AMETI road and improvements to Van Damm's Lagoon. These projects are now open for public submissions to the Council.
Media release: 16 April 2012
Pakuranga information day
14 April 2012
Changes to Panmure park and ride
30 March 2012
A section of the Park‘n’Ride off Forge Way will be closed from 1 April but 86 spaces will remain. Passengers driving via Mt Wellington Highway and Ellerslie-Panmure Highway are advised to use these spaces.
New Park‘n’Ride spaces will be available off the Panmure roundabout end of Mountain Road. Passengers driving via the Panmure roundabout side of the station are advised to use this Park‘n’Ride facility.
Access to the station will also change. See the map below for your most convenient access point.
Auckland Transport and its contractors apologise for any inconvenience.
These changes are necessary as part of the AMETI Panmure project. When complete the Panmure Station area will be significantly improved.
Media release: 24 February 2012
Construction begins on the first AMETI work
27 January 2012
The old Mountain Rd bridge was demolished on Boxing Day and new temporary ramps to the platforms at Panmure Station were installed during the Christmas rail network shutdown.
Access to station platforms is different to how it was before Christmas. Signage is in place to guide passengers.
Work on a new Mountain Rd bridge over the rail lines is now underway with good progress being made on piles and foundations. The new bridge will be higher to allow for electrification of the rail network.
Other AMETI Panmure construction work:
Station platform works
Ongoing work on a new temporary park and ride car park
Demolition of buildings
Enabling works for major construction, including creating a trench for combining underground services. This is being carried out at night, mostly on private property. This is noisy work and may be heard by some residents. Auckland Transport is endeavouring to schedule the noisiest work earlier in the evening, use quiet machinery where possible.
Auckland Transport has a community liaison team focused on minimising the impacts to the public during construction.
Contact Greg Horne on 355 3553 or Greg.Horne@aucklandtransport.govt.nz
Media release: 21 December 2011