Karangahape Newsletter
Welcome to the first Karangahape Newsletter of the year…and the decade!
Read about construction progress in Beresford Square and Mercury Lane, along with the journey our old Information Hub is taking through the Pacific to a vanilla plantation in Niue.
Contact us on karangahape@linkalliance.co.nz or 0800 CRL TALK, option 4 with your questions, comments and feedback.
February – March CONSTRUCTION OVERVIEW
Mercury Lane
- The direction of traffic on Cross Street will change at the beginning of March. Cars will enter from Mercury Lane and exit onto Upper Queen Street.
- Demolition of the Mercury Lane site continues with vehicle access maintained down Mercury Lane.
- Utilities work continues on Mercury Lane and the corner of Cross Street / Mercury Lane.
- Sheet piling for the temporary access shaft starts in late February/early March (see details below).
Beresford Square
- Work to relocate utilities continues and is anticipated to finish in May 2020 (see details below).
|
|
Above: With Mercury Plaza now gone the buildings around it continue to be demolished
|
|
Sheet piling example (left) which retains soil and enables the construction of the temporary access shaft (right).
|
|
Getting ready to dig – sheet piling to begin on Mercury Lane
Construction of Karangahape Station’s 203-metre long platforms requires a temporary access shaft, 20-metres deep and 15-metres in diameter. This will enable the team to get all their equipment and personnel below ground.
Work on the temporary access shaft begins at the end of February with sheet piling at the Mercury Lane construction site.
Sheet piles are ten-metre long sections of steel sheets with interlocking edges vibrated into the ground to form a wall and provide soil retention, excavation support and a safety barrier. They are vibrated into the ground at a high frequency until firm ground is reached (indicative picture above). This method reduces noise and the impacts often associated with other piling methods, such as pile driving.
The noise resulting from the vibrating of each sheet pile will be intermittent and the process is expected to take two to three weeks to complete.
We will also be monitoring to make sure we are within the parameters of the regulations.
|
|
L to R: Rob Roughan, Tim Harvey (Parish Property Services Manager), Julie Adamson (Parish Finance Manager), Roberta Hammond (Parish Office Administrator), Garry Setterfield (Link Alliance), Rev Tevita Taufalele (Auckland Central Parish Superintendent)
|
|
Hub salvage helps support Church lunches for the homeless
It was once the Supper Club, the Bagelry and most recently the Link Alliance Info Hub, and now the building that was in the centre of Beresford Square is on its way to Niue!
As seen on Newshub and Stuff, the Info Hub is getting a new lease of life after being dismantled and salvaged by Rob Roughan, the original designer and builder.
Rob, who is of Niuean heritage, will once again be assembling the building, 25 years after he bolted it together with his brother in 1995. This time around it will be a café on a vanilla plantation he is developing to help promote tourism on the island.
To show his appreciation Rob has made a sizable donation to the Auckland Methodist Central Parish, saying, "we're taking something away, so it's probably fitting that we give something back".
It’s a donation gratefully received, which will be used to help fund a community lunch for neighbours and local homeless people twice a year. The church has been holding community lunches for more than a decade.
The church provides regular help to the homeless and each Monday night welcomes New Zealand’s first ever hybrid laundry and shower van, ‘Hugo’. Hugo comes courtesy of Orange Sky who provide a platform for people to connect through a regular laundry service.
Congregation members enjoy offering users a cuppa, a biscuit or two and a friendly chat while they wait for their laundry to be finished.
|
|
The history and future of Beresford Square
During our time hosting the City Rail Link (CRL) Information Hub in Beresford Square (we’re returning soon) we had the privilege of talking to many people about the ever-changing nature of the neighbourhood. We heard stories about buildings, people and the area’s rich history.
To capture this we have created a video that shows the history of Beresford Square, from its roots in the 1840s, through to its inception, right up until the end of the last decade – with all the chapters in-between.
There’s also a look into the future as to what it will become. Enjoy.
|
|
What do the Beresford Square utilities work involve?
The core focus for the team in Beresford Square over the next few months will be on ‘utilities work’, but what does this actually mean?
In a nutshell it means locating, identifying and moving all of the underground pipes and ducts that carry electricity, tele-communications, gas, water, sewerage and wastewater. These subterranean services are within our construction footprint and need to be moved before construction of the station can begin.
It’s a complex job involving more than 20 different pipes and ducts, plus the installation of new ones to ensure that the area is future-proofed.
Excavating around gas and power lines has to be done carefully. To ensure that services aren’t damaged the engineers use a technique known as hydro excavation – essentially cutting the trench with a large water blaster. The water is then removed with a hydro-vac, which is a powerful vacuum cleaner. This can be noisy so the team try to keep its use to a minimum and encase the work using sound shields.
Our utility work is expected to take four to six months.
|
|
Finding community opportunities
Being a good neighbour means helping out whenever you can. Here at Karangahape Station we are always on the lookout for ways in which we can use our skills and surplus material to give back to the community.
Garry Setterfield, the Karangahape Station Site Superintendent, has a particularly good eye for this and has already managed to construct some planter boxes for the KBA and co-ordinate the salvage of the hub. He also arranged a new home for some of our plants at St Dominic’s Parish and School.
“The school was delighted to receive the plants. The whole process was super easy and it’s a nice link to the project,” said Darryl Parsons, whose daughter goes to the school.
Garry has organised temporary parking on the Link Alliance site for residents of a nearby apartment block while their parking lot was being renovated.
Helen Bernstone, who lives in the apartment block emailed to thank our team: “You and your people have been absolutely amazing in the help and support you have all given us during the remediation programme. You have no idea how grateful we are.”
|
|
Meet the team – Manu De Silva
Manu De Silva is the Project Engineer for Beresford Square and can be seen walking around on site – he’s a friendly guy so feel free to say hi. Find out a little more about Manu below.
What does your job involve?
“I’m managing the construction of Beresford Station, which includes the procurement of materials and plant, managing subcontractors on-site and interfacing with other engineering teams.”
Where did you grow up? “I was born in Sri Lanka but grew up in Auckland and graduated from the University of Auckland.”
Where were you working prior to this?
“Before joining the Link Alliance I was working on engineering projects in London and Australia, I also worked for SCIRT (Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team) in Christchurch.”
What do you do when you are not working?
“I like snowboarding, travel, Home DIY and riding my motorbike.”
Any fun facts you want to share?
I can juggle bowling pins and I really love dogs.
|
|
Changes to Cross Street directional traffic flow
At the beginning of March we will be switching the direction of the one-way system in Cross Street. Cars will only be able to enter Cross Street from Mercury Lane.
Reversing the traffic flow will enable safe access by trucks and pedestrians to Cross Street while construction continues.
Parking along the street will remain but will have to be pointed eastward.
We will also have a traffic controller stationed on Upper Queen Street before and after the change to assist with redirecting traffic. If you’d like to talk about this further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on karangahape@linkalliance.co.nz or call us on 0800 CRL TALK option 4.
|
|
Advertise your business to CRL workers
At the height of construction approximately 300 people are going to be working on the Karangahape Station site so naturally we’re encouraging them to shop local and explore all our neighbouring communities have to offer. That’s why we have set up a trader directory to promote the many diverse eateries, services, entertainment and shopping that’s available throughout the project corridor.
If you’d like to be included in the Karangahape directory, please email traders@cityraillink.govt.nz
Or click on the website for more details: https://www.cityraillink.co.nz/trader-directory-karangahape
|
|
The KBA Roll out the Rainbow
It’s not too late to apply for funding from the Karangahape Business Association to take part in their Roll out the Rainbow project for Pride Month! So far there has been amazing pick up from the community. All the business involved and upcoming events can be found on the KBA website here.
Join Pride Pledge and the KBA to paint the town rainbow this summer through the Roll Out The Rainbow initiative that encourages visibly inclusiveness and love for all. As part of the initiative, KBA and Pride Pledge have funding for a range of LGBTTI+ targeted events around Karangahape Road. Anyone can apply to host an event over February! Grants are limited to $500 per event.
|
|
|
|
