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A snippet of the artwork Urban Mesh which is built from photographic imagery gathered during Deborah Crowe’s urban ‘wanderings’ in Tāmaki Makaurau. Currently on display along a section of our hoarding. Check out our art walk here >>
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Kia ora ,
The annual Artweek Auckland festival begins today and continues through to Sunday, 14 November. City Rail Link Ltd and Link Alliance are excited to join with Artweek in celebrating Auckland's diverse and vibrant visual arts community. This year we will celebrate in a new and fun digital format.
Come celebrate Artweek with us by visiting the Artweek website, check out our Aotea Station self-guided artwalk, or taking advantage of the creative resources below.
- Download the new Artweek Every Week app on your mobile device, making it easy to navigate your way around Auckland's galleries and creative spaces (virtually!)
- Be sure to head into midtown, in the central city to check out the various art activations on offer, including our self guided art tours of the works surrounding Aotea Station. There's also art tours of the Karangahape Station and Mt Eden construction sites! Our art in construction - City Rail Link
- Explore more than 17,500 works on the Auckland Art Gallery website, including blogs, publications, videos, and more
- Grab your paintbrushes and pencils and join our Meditative Art class (4pm, Thursday 11 November) - download zoom and click here
A reminder that public feedback on Te Hā Noa Victoria Street Linear Park and Wellesley Street bus improvements projects is open until next week Tuesday 9 November. Find out more and submit online here.
As always, to contact us you can email us at: aotea@linkalliance.co.nz
or call 0800 CRL TALK (0800 275 8255 and press option 3) to speak to us.
Ngā mihi nui,
The Aotea Station team
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Today is the first day of Artweek Auckland. Click the map above to download the full Aotea Station art walk.
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Community Liaison Meeting - online
Tuesday 30 November | 4:00pm - 5:00pm
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All are warmly invited to our next community liaison meeting. These are open to all our neighbours around the construction site, and are an opportunity for you to hear about the Aotea Station construction in more detail and provide feedback on project progress.
Due to lockdown restrictions we have moved this CLG meeting online via Microsoft Teams, click here for more information on how to participate in a Microsoft Teams live event >>
This meeting will also be recorded through Microsoft Teams and we will share the recording and minutes with the community for those who were unable to attend.
When: Tuesday, 30 November | 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Where: Online via Microsoft Teams Live, click here to join the meeting >>
Agenda: This meeting's focus will be to give an update on the upcoming breakthroughs into the completed tunnels from Britomart and the Link Alliance TBM, Dame Whina Cooper, breakthrough at Aotea Station. There will also be an overview of the progress across the site, some reflections on the ongoing Small Business Support Programme, and an update on the Activate Aotea programme.
We always welcome the opportunity to speak with you, to hear your feedback/suggestions, and to answer your questions.
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Click on the image for more information on how to participate in a Microsoft Teams live event
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Upcoming breakthrough preparations!
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Britomart Tunnels Breakthrough
This month we are preparing to breakthrough into the already completed section of tunnels that run up Albert Street from Britomart Station to Wyndham Street.
We are currently removing redundant piles as we continue excavating down towards the 300mm thick headwall that currently blocks off the completed tunnel boxes. Unlike a TBM breakthrough which happens over the course of minutes, this breakthrough will take approximately one week as we will use an excavator with a concrete breaker.
Once access has been established to the tunnels, work will begin installing the track and systems infrastructure.
Keep an eye on City Rail Link's social media for updates on this massive milestone!
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Krystyna Penkala, Aotea Station Site Engineer, standing in front of the redundant piles that are being demolished as excavations continue down to the completed tunnel boxes beneath Wyndham Street.
Image credit: Aotea Station team
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Dame Whina Cooper TBM Breakthrough
On 17 October our Tunnel Boring Machine, Dame Whina Cooper, broke through into the Karangahape Station site at Mercury Lane (it had travelled from Mt Eden Station). It is currently being transported through the pre-constructed platform level mined tunnels and will soon be on its way to us at Aotea Station - travelling under Pitt and Vincent Streets to reach Mayoral Drive, near Wellesley Street.
The TBM, Dame Whina Cooper, is expected to arrive at Aotea Station in approximately two months. Track the TBM's progress at DigCRL.co.nz
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The TBM, Dame Whina Cooper, breaking through to Karangahape Station, after a five month journey traveling 840 metres from Mt Eden Station.
Image credit: Karangahape Team
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This colouring image shows the intricate detail and complexity of the TBM cutterhead. Have fun colouring and be sure to send us your masterpieces.
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The TBM’s name acknowledges Dame Whina Cooper’s mana and reputation as a woman of influence and significance for Māori and for wider New Zealand.
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City Rail Link Targeted Hardship Fund
Businesses can now apply to receive financial support from the Targeted Hardship Fund. Now that the Fund has been finalised, the Advance Interim Payment scheme will close, and businesses can apply for the full Targeted Hardship Fund. All remaining Advance Interim Payment applications will still be processed. Any Advance Interim Payment a business receives will be deducted when calculating an applicant’s total Fund payment. More information can be found on the City Rail Link website.
Link Alliance Small Business Support Programme
The programme has received a significant number of applications from the Aotea Station area. Applications for this calendar year must be received by 1 December 2021. More information is available here.
Regional Business Partner Network
A new economic support package is available for businesses affected by higher alert levels as the country transitions to the new COVID-19 Protection Framework. You can register your interest and find out more about it here.
COVID-19 government business supports
Additional Resurgence Support Payments have been announced by the government alongside other COVID-19 support measures. Visit the official government support website or find out more via Heart of the City.
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Aotea Station works update
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Aurore and Mathieu from our foundation team mark the completion of piling. Click on the image to see our full milestone tracker and what is coming up over the next three years. Note this tracker will be updated once lockdown production impact is fully established.
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We saw great progress in October with the completion of the last of our permanent foundation bored piles across the station! That brings us to a total of 402 piles complete to help create the foundation for station excavations. There are still a few temporary piles to be completed to allow for the construction of the station roof.
South Zone - Mayoral Drive area
- Excavation of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) opening portal continues (this is where the cutterhead of the TBM will be removed when it completes its first drive)
- Construction of the first floor of the station superstructure (above-ground station entrance building) continues, with floor slab pours and beam construction.
- Steel reinforcing for the first of the second floor columns has been installed in the super-structure.
- Excavation continues beneath the completed B1 concourse level slabs down to the platform and track levels.
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Steel reinforcing for the first of the second floor columns was installed yesterday.
Image credit: Aotea Station Team
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Excavation beneath the B1 concrete slab continues -- we have removed about half of the spoil we need to in this area.
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A telescopic excavator is now being used to help remove the spoil from the TBM portals as our excavations get deeper.
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Central Zone - Albert Street from Wellesley to Victoria
- Underground excavation of the concourse level (B1) of the station platform continues beneath Wellesley Street and Albert Street.
- Demolition and excavation of the old Albert Street retaining wall continues, with work moving towards Victoria Street.
- Breakback of the guidewall follows this demolition and excavation, preparing the site for the construction of the station box/exterior walls.
- Construction of the capping beam will be followed by the construction of the new upstand wall, in place of the original retaining wall.
- The continuing construction of the roof slabs will allow for the station excavation to continue towards Victoria Street.
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Demolition of the Albert St retaining wall and excavation continues, this is to allow us to extend the already completed d-walls so that the roof slabs can be completed over the top.
Image credit: Aotea Station Team
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Victoria Street Zone
- Utilities upgrade and relocation on Victoria Street is almost complete.
- Water treatment plant has been installed and is now operational.
- Foundational bored piling is complete, marking another major milestone for the project.
- Guide wall construction is complete and diaphragm wall construction continues.
- Our information centre, Te Pūkaki, has arrived near Elliott Street and we are preparing for opening to the public once it is safe to do so.
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The clamshell grab-rig excavates through the clay surface to the rock layer where Sandrine, our hydrofraise machine will take over. (D-wall)
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Concrete trucks pouring one of the d-walls near Subway on Victoria St. On average it takes 23 concrete trucks to complete a d-wall pour!
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North Zone - Albert Street from Victoria to Wyndham
- Roof slab construction is complete up to Kingston Street.
- A second vehicle lane has been installed by the Wilson Carpark entrance to improve flow.
- Underground excavation of the tunnels near Wyndham Street continues to make progress, with work continuing to expose the headwall the completed Britomart tunnels.
- Preparations for the breakthrough into the Britomart tunnels are underway.
- Underground excavation of the tunnels continues near Kingston and Victoria Streets.
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Three concrete trucks ready for a big pour by the District Court. The red trailer is a concrete pump taking the concrete down into site and straight to where it needs to be.
Image Credit: Aotea Station Team
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Caring for our community
Auckland City Mission
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Midtown is home to a vibrant mix of residents, small businesses, hospitality, tourism and retail opportunities. Just beyond the Aotea Station worksite in Federal Street is the Auckland City Mission, a charity that has been helping Aucklanders in need for over 100 years.
Today, people go to the City Mission for many different reasons – some are rough sleepers or people living in cars and inappropriate housing. Others are battling addictions, living with mental health issues, or struggling to feed their families. Some people access the Mission’s services to help them through a short and difficult time in their life. Others need a sustained and long-term plan for support.
Another part of the City Mission’s work is their new building – HomeGround – which is now almost finished and will contribute to a regenerated midtown area. This new building will be the hub of the City Mission, bringing together permanent housing, expanded health and social services, state of the art detox facilities and a comprehensive programme of activities in a warm and welcoming space. Thank you to the Auckland City Mission for the great mahi you do in and for our community.
Link Alliance continuously looks for ways to support our community organisations through event partnerships and organising staff collections and donations.
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Impression of HomeGround as viewed from Federal St. Click on the image find out more about more and support the HomeGround project.
Image Credit: Auckland City Mission
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Jargon Buster: Hydrovac & Airvac
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Hydrovac and airvac trucks have specialised hoses that inject water (hydro) or air at high pressure to cut into the earth, and utilise vacuum pumps that then remove the dry or wet excavated material.
Hydrovacs and airvacs unlike excavators (diggers) are less likely to damage the protective tubing round the utilities. Using the hydrovacs and airvacs reduces risk of utility strikes that could cause injury to our crews and a temporary outage for customers. This reduction in risk also allows us to maintain our pace when we are digging around utilities, otherwise we might need to complete some of the excavations by hand!
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