Kia ora koutou
We hope you and your families have had the chance to enjoy Auckland’s first weekend in Level One. Here at Mt Eden Station we are busy preparing for the start of mined tunnelling and the arrival of the Tunnel Boring Machine which is expected to arrive later this month.
As always, we encourage you to email us at mteden@linkalliance.co.nz or call 0800 CRL TALK (275 8255) then press 5 if you have any questions or concerns about our work.
Ngā mihi nui
Mt Eden Station Team
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Link Alliance proudly supporting Auckland Artweek
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This week is Artweek which is an annual, week-long festival celebrating the visual arts of Auckland. We are celebrating by hosting ‘A Sunday in Uptown’ event on 18 October. You’ll have the opportunity to take a self-guided tour to uncover Uptown’s art and culture within the urban landscape including street and hoarding art and creative community spaces.
Many of our local businesses and community groups are hosting events, check out the schedule at https://www.uptown.co.nz/artweekuptown and the businesses that are participating:
- OMG
- AMTK
- COFFEE PEN
- THE CORNER STORE
- FRIDGE & FLAGON
- ART STUDIO COLLECTIVE
- KEEPSAKE TATTOO
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Big deliveries coming soon
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In late October the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) will arrive onto site in a number of very large and different packages. Deliveries will take place over four consecutive nights to comply with Auckland Council’s oversize delivery permits.
These deliveries are expected to take place between 10pm-6am. There will be additional lighting and some noise as the crews on site place the delivery into the right location. We will confirm the dates and times with our neighbours once we receive confirmation from the Port and transport companies. In addition, a tower crane that will be used to support the TBM operations later this year will also arrive to site later this month however this will arrive during normal working hours.
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Mined tunnelling kicks off later this month!
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Before the end of the month we will begin the first stages of mined tunnelling which is an essential part of the construction process to enable the Tunnel Boring Machine’s drive in April 2021.
To undertake this work we will be using a large drilling rig called a “Jumbo” which will be used to drill and blast through the hard rock. The Jumbo will sit at the portal platform adjacent to the intersection of Flower and Nikau Streets and will be used to mine the first 51 metres of the new tunnels, before the TBM begins its drive in April 2021.
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An example of a jumbo machine that will arrive onto site later this month
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Tunnel mining for the first cavern will take approximately four months to complete and another three weeks will be spent on preparation work ahead of the TBM being launched.
During the initial set-up and preparation for mined tunnelling, work will be carried out in one shift between 7am and 7pm. This phase will last for approximately two weeks. Once mined tunnelling is underway, the work will be carried out in two shifts as follows:
- Day Shift – 7am to 3pm
- Evening Shift – 2pm to 10pm
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Historic treasures found under Shaddock Street
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While relocating the wastewater pipe on the Shaddock Street side of the site the team uncovered a 5.5m rail track set into a layer of concrete, and alongside it a circular iron tank.
Archaeologists suggest that this rail track is possibly related to the Renown Coal Depot constructed in 1930. The depot is known to be located in the general Shaddock Street area, but the exact location is unknown and further research is required.
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The iron tank found during excavation
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Pictured, the Renown Coal Depot with Maungawhau in the background.
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From 19 October we will start demolishing part of the former Mt Eden Station platform. This work will take approximately three weeks to complete and we’ll undertake the work using an excavator to break away concrete and then later a vibro-roller to smooth the gravel and widen the haul road.
The former platform needs to be removed to make way for work in the rail corridor to prepare for the future integration of CRL line with the existing western line. In 2021, we will start work to create a new western line platform that will connect via a pedestrian bridge to the new redeveloped Mt Eden Station.
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Volcanic samples uncovered during excavation
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Last month researchers from the Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA) group came back to site to see if they could gather more evidence of the Maungawhau eruption sequence.
To conduct their research, DEVORA requires access to fresh exposures containing volcanic deposits including basalt (lava flows) and volcanic ash. As we have excavated past the basalt rock layer in parts of our site, it has provided the perfect location to take samples.
The researchers discovered an interesting charcoal coated basalt rock which they will send to the lab for further investigating. We’re looking forward to working alongside DEVORA in the coming months as they continue their research to see what other secrets are hidden beneath the lava flows.
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New rail corridor hoardings
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Since September we have been installing hoardings along the railway corridor from Auburn Street all the way along to the Dominion Road overpass. These hoardings are to separate the active train tracks from our construction site so we can begin the early stages of the rail integration.
To install these hoardings the team have been removing and levelling the ballast, a coarse stone used to bed the railway tracks. These hoardings are expected to be complete by mid-November and will remain in place until 2021 when the single line running track moves to the other side.
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Local artists showcase on Boston Road
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If you regularly pass through Boston Road you may have noticed some colourful new additions to the hoardings (fences). As part of Auckland’s Artweek we are showcasing an outdoor art gallery from seven artists who live or work in the area. The artists and Uptown Business Association came together last week to celebrate these beautiful artworks now in place. Have a walk along the art wall and learn more about the artists and what inspires them.
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Pat Nielsen is a local Auckland artist who was a maths teacher for 42 years. Pat likes to create three dimensional effects and finds that geometry is often a theme within her artwork.
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Art lover and guide dog-in-training, Gaia also enjoyed the event. Through her sighted interpreter (artist Lyn Bergquist) she said that although she’s colour blind, this didn’t prohibit her from appreciating the artists’ creativity!
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Iconic flame tree stands tall
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The Flame Tree (Erythrina x sykesii) situated on the corner of Boston and Normanby Road is a stunning sight in full flower. The exuberant red pod-like flowers can be seen from the far end of all intersecting roads and initiates a smile of appreciation during rush hour traffic.
This tree, planted circa 1930 by the son of the founder of the Colonial Ammunition Company, is the sole survivor from the once extensive planting around the factory which manufactured ammunition for NZ and Australian Armed Forces prior to and during World War II.
The tree is protected under ‘notable’ status and will be regularly checked by an arborist to ensure it remains undamaged during our work.
Last weekend Link Alliance removed 30 exotic and native trees situated within the Boston Road reserve (outside Mt Eden Prison). The trees were removed to make way for the future integration of the CRL line with the existing western line and were part of the Tree Assessment prepared in 2012 that formed part of the Notice of Requirement for the CRL designation.
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