2020 Year in Review

The City Rail Link has taken the unique opportunity posed by a challenging 2020 to prove it means business.

The year was punctuated by two major contract completions, two Covid-19 lockdowns, the arrival of the project’s mechanical star – the Dame Whina Cooper Tunnel Boring Machine – and the opening of Auckland’s newest civic space, Te Komititanga, among many other milestones.

The Link Alliance made a discernible shift throughout the year from early preparatory works around the Mt Eden, Aotea and Karangahape site footprints – to permanent station works and tunnel mining.  

One of the projects first contracts, C2 on Albert Street was completed in October, followed closely by the completion of C8 at the Ōtāhuhu Station in November, bringing to a close several years’ worth of construction.

And while the full impact of Covid-19 on the project will not be known for some time, the project came out of the starting blocks quicker than most after the lockdown, and working longer hours  meant productivity was quickly back to pre-lockdown levels. 

The Dame Whina Cooper TBM, which will build the main section of tunnels underneath Auckland, arrived on our shores and was unveiled to the public for the first time in December.

Lastly, a new and improved public space in lower Queen Street - Te Komitianga - was formally gifted back to Aucklanders in late December.

And while no one can predict what 2021 has in store – the project promises to be even bigger and better than ever making Auckland a better place. We take a quick look back to 2020 with this highlights video.