Minutes
Meeting
Mt Eden Community Liaison Group (CLG)
Date
Wednesday 5th May 2021
Time
5.30pm – 7:00pm
Location
1 New North Road
Link Alliance Attendees
Helga Sonier, Thibaut L’Hopital, Nick Adams, Florent Detraux, Derek Whelan, Annie van der Plas, Annabelle Wrigley, Lucy Waite, Helen Jansen, Piet Ubels, Madison Sturt, Richard Jenkins.
CLG Member Attendees
Clara Puglia, Richard Coombes, Brian McCormack, Megan Ottley, Steve Wilson, Brent Kennedy, Graeme East.
Agenda: No.
Agenda Item
Presenter
1.
Meeting open
Helga Sonier
2.
Welcome and agenda overview
Helga Sonier
3.
Communications & Engagement Team update
Helga Sonier
4.
Mt Eden Station activity overview
Thibaut L’Hopital
5.
North Auckland Line overview and Normanby Road closure
Nick Adams
6.
Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) update
Florent Detraux & Derek Whelan
7.
Q&A session
All Presenters
8.
Meeting close
Helga Sonier
1. Welcome and Communications and Engagement update -
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Helga Sonier – Mt Eden Community Manager, welcomed attendees to this CLG meeting and outlined the agenda of the meeting. Helga acknowledged the new Te Manawa Visitor Information Centre, and the monthly site perimeter tours with our Development Response Manager. Helga introduced new members of the Mt Eden Communications and Engagement team, as we now have a new Development Response Manager and Communications and Engagement Coordinator. The team are currently reviewing our notification process due to valued feedback we have received from our stakeholders. Introducing the idea of QR codes which we used for the Normanby Road parking resolution. CLG meetings are now held bi-monthly, and our next TBM info hub will be held next Tuesday 11th May 5pm – 7pm at Te Manawa.
2. Mt Eden Station site activity -
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Thibaut L’Hopital - Mt Eden Station Project Manager, provided an overview of activity that is happening across Mt Eden Station in the coming months. Key upcoming works include constructing the cut and cover tunnels for the future City Rail Link lines, the future station building foundations, the North Auckland line platform, and installing beams and props for the western grade structure where the existing North Auckland Line and City Rail Link lines meet. Nikau Street has upcoming works and traffic changes occurring between May – September this year. This is due to diverting overhead power cables and the existing Huia 2 transmission watermain that runs along Nikau Street.
3. North Auckland Line -
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Nick Adams – Deputy Construction Manager North Auckland Line, gave an overview of activity happening within the Western Line rail corridor and the Normanby Road closure. Key activity to date includes completion of western half of Mt Eden Road bridge, installation of remaining Huia 2 transmission watermain in Fenton Street, and completion of foundations for Porters Ave footbridge. The Normanby Road level crossing will be closed from 2nd June 2021 until early 2022. The closure is required in order to construct the road-over-rail bridge which replaces the current level crossing. This also includes making improvements at the Mt Eden Road/Boston Road intersection and at Mt Eden Road/Normanby road intersection. During the closure, no vehicles can cross over the rail corridor, and pedestrians will be able to cross the rail corridor via the temporary services bridge.
4. Tunnel Boring Machine update -
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Florent Detraux – Tunnels Project Manager and Derek Whelan – TBM Tunnels Construction Manager both provided an overview of what activity has been taking place to prepare for the TBM beginning its drive later in May. Key preparation activities include assembling and moving the cutterhead, shield, and gantries, testing and commissioning of the TBM, installation of the vertical belt storage tower and tunnel conveyor belt, construction of the spoil basin shed, and technical area to support the TBM.
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The TBM has three main jobs underground, excavating the tunnels, removing the excavated material to the surface, and installing precast concrete panels that will line the tunnel walls. The TBM is an Earth Pressure Balanced TBM, meaning it has little impact on people above ground while it excavates the tunnels. Once the TBM begins its drive, activity will take place on site 24/7 to support this. As the TBM bores the tunnels, it will excavate spoil which will be transported on a conveyor belt system out onto the Mt Eden site, and will then be further transported off the Mt Eden site via our nominated contractor Gleeson and Cox Spoil truck movements are scheduled to remain within our regular construction hours of 7am – 7pm Monday to Saturday and the amount of spoil removed off site during TBM operations will be similar to that already transported off site during peak excavation in late 2020.
Questions & Answers:
•
Will there be a new road linking Mt Eden Road and the roads north of it?
Yes. There will be a new Ruru Street extension that will meet Mt Eden Road, where the main entrance to the new station can be accessed. This road will be established in 2024 when the new Mt Eden Station opens.
•
Will there be one or two platforms for the North Auckland Line?
There will be a platform that runs in the middle of both the Up and Down Main of the North Auckland Lines.
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When will the up and down main be reinstated?
‘Up Main’ is the track for west-bound trains and the ‘Down Main’ is the track for eastbound trains. From January 2022, trains will be transferred to run on the down main and works will take place on the up main. By mid 2023 both lines will have been reinstated and it will be back to dual track operations.
•
Will you have to shift any current rail tracks as part of constructing the new City Rail Link lines?
The existing North Auckland Lines will need to be realigned so we can put two new tracks in between for the CRL lines at both the eastern and western ends. Layout of the future CRL lines and North Auckland Lines can be seen via the map below. Maps — City Rail Link
•
Will the western part of Boston Road between Mt Eden Road be temporarily closed?
The area will not be closed for a great length of time but may be closed intermittently, e.g. at night.
Update: There will be a temporary closure on Boston Road (western side) between 24th May to 28th May. This is due to night work occurring to isolate existing services within the road and connect the new services to the temporary services bridge.
•
Will spoil trucks make traffic worse?
The volume of spoil transported off site on any given day, during TBM operations will be similar to what was previously transported off site in a day during peak excavation (in second half of 2020). Previous excavation works requiring the transportation of spoil off site have reduced, so it is considered that the increase in trucks for the TBM spoil will balance this overall number.
•
What type of spoil/fill will be excavated by the TBM?
Given the depths the TBM is excavating, this will predominantly be clean and/or managed fill (due to the polymers that are used as part of the TBM's excavation process).
•
What hours will spoil trucks be accessing the construction site?
Spoil trucks will be entering and exiting the Mt Eden construction site between 7am-7pm, Monday – Saturday.
•
Will the TBM have rest days?
The TBM will have planned maintenance once a week. In addition to this, the team will need to stop and add additional length to the spoil conveyor belt and high voltage cable periodically. Initially it is anticipated to take 12 hours to add the additional length of belt each time, decreasing to 6 hours as the TBM drive continues.
•
How do you rotate the TBM for it to make its journey back to Mt Eden Station?
When the underground drive is completed for the first CRL tunnel, the TBM’s front section – the cutterhead and shield – will be dismantled and lifted out of the ground and taken back to Mt Eden. Meanwhile the TBM’s supporting gantries will be transferred back through the tunnel and across the stations to Mt Eden. All of the TBM’s sections will then be reconnected at Mt Eden for the second drive in 2022.
Next meeting: July 2021.