Motorway Blue Monster - Your Questions Answered (+ Photos)

 

After doing a post about that blue monster of a crane towering above Auckland’s southern motorway, I’ve had heaps of questions about it.

blue fromafarIt certainly is a talking point.

So here are the answers to the questions you’ve asked:

What sort of equipment is it?

It’s an overhead launching gantry, a specialist piece of bridge building equipment.

What is it doing at the moment and does it stay there?

Erected north of Newmarket’s Broadway, it will propel itself southwards, lifting new bridge segements into place as it moves.

How long is it?

120 metres.

How much does it weigh?

700 tonnes.

blue wall

How many parts are there of the new viaduct?

The new viaduct has 468 segments and the gantry will install most of them.

What happens to the old bridge?

It will be used to dismantle that as well.

blue limbIs it the first time we have seen this in New Zealand?

No, it was used on the viaduct structures of the northern gateway project over the North Shore.

How long will it be there?

Get used to it as it will be there for several years but it’s hoped the work will be done by the time of the RWC.

blue close-

What speed restrictions are there?

70km  for southbound traffic passing immediately adjacent to the construction activity; and 80km for northbound traffic in case it gets distracted by the crane. The southbound speed limit extends as far as Greenlane to accommodate further construction work between Market Road and Greenlane. The speed restrictions have been put in place to coincide with a slight narrowing of the lanes.

Why is this motorway work important?

It’s to relieve one of the major bottlenecks.  The SH1 Newmarket to Greenlane auxiliary Lane is designed to tie in with the completion of the four southbound lanes of the Newmarket Connection and eventually the four southbound lanes of the Vic Park Tunnel.

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8 Comments

 
  1. Jeremy Harris says:

    Relieve major bottlenecks or induce major traffic..?

  2. Johans says:

    At least paint the damn thing in a different colour, it’s too eye catching.

  3. Scott says:

    Its a stunner. I’ve watched it grow everyday. What a view it must have. The colour well Ford blue National blue.Big boys toys blue.

  4. ingolfson says:

    “Relieve major bottlenecks or induce major traffic..?”

    The traffic report for the fourth southbound lane ADMITTED the benefits could quite likely be lost in induced demand ;-)

  5. anna says:

    how high is it off the bridge?
    I am also wanting to know average height required for briges or gantrys over NZ motoways

  6. max says:

    No idea how high it is. 15-20m above ground, would be my guess. Browsing their website might help?

    As for your second question, anna, read this:

    http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/bridge-manual/index.html

  7. robert sanday says:

    q: how is this job going to take on the new market bridge construction job?

  8. Jon C says:

    @Robert December 2012. If you want background try http://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/newmarketconnection/

 

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