Britomart Station - CRL Works Milestone
A major milestone for the team on the CRL Contract 1 (C1) at Britomart, has been achieved with the first concrete roof slab poured.
The CRL project will transform Britomart Station into a through station, instead of the current terminus (dead-end) station.
C1 is a technically challenging project as it involves the construction of two tunnels beneath the Chief Post Office (CPO) building and Lower Queen Street, all while protecting the integrity CPO building as a heritage listed building and working within and adjacent to Britomart station.
Nick Adams is CRL’s C1 project lead and says progress was going "very well'' and the job was more than half way through. All of the tunnels’ floor slabs have been constructed, along with the majority of the tunnel walls.
But the fact the first tunnel roof was recently constructed – effectively adding the lid to what is known as the "tunnel box" - was a real milestone.
"For those of us involved in the project, it took 37 months of technically challenging construction before we completed the first of the 16 tunnel box sections involved in C1," says Nick.
Nick says the list of difficulties and challenges to get to this point has been endless.
"Delivering materials and equipment, whether that be concrete or any number of the 12 tonne, 12-metre-long beams used to support the CPO building into the heart of the CBD, whilst not affecting station operations or disrupting the daily commute of thousands of people was no small feat.
"Likewise is installing 20-metre-deep heavily reinforced concrete foundations within a building of limited head height using a 90-tonne machine."
C1 construction works commenced in July 2016 and the CPO building is scheduled to be returned for station operations in late 2020 along with the reinstatement of Lower Queen Street. Removal of the temporary entrance to the station at the rear of the CPO building along with the reinstatement of Tyler and Galway Streets is scheduled for completed by mid-2021.
"All in all, though, we're doing very well and we’re looking forward to completion," says Nick.