Lyttelton Tunnel Deluge & Associated Systems Upgrade

Tunnel upgrade a collaborative affair

PROJECT: Lyttelton Tunnel Deluge & Associated Systems Upgrade CONTRACTOR: McConnell Dowell Constructors CLIENT: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency VALUE: $25m

The Lyttelton Tunnel Deluge and Associated Works Project was started in May 2017 and was completed in August 2019.

McConnell Dowell took a highly collaborative approach to the highrisk upgrade and works delivery, with designers WSP Opus, and client Waka Kotahi, to develop a detailed design and construction method integrating 27 subcontractors across disciplines such as mechanical, pipework, civil, roading, drainage, electrical controls (PLCs, SCADA), cameras, public notification systems, radio re-broadcast system, and a water reservoir.

Through a safety and quality focus, and commitment to openness, transparency and collaborative planning, the team delivered works with Zero Harm, on time and to budget. The standout innovation for safety, a cantilevered trolley that avoided point balance load issues on the tunnel’s dual purpose ventilation duct floor/tunnel ceiling, also increased productivity and quality, enabling works to proceed while traffic flowed through the tunnel. The team’s appreciation for the project’s location and the disruption to Canterbury’s Lyttelton and Banks Peninsula communities was embedded from day one, and ultimately enabled the team to conduct works with fewer total lane closures.

The project’s safety culture was outstanding, with workers and all site staff taking full care and responsibility for each other, and consistently speaking up and out when they saw unsafe working.