There are some large numbers hidden in the concrete, steel and paint of the Hamilton section of the Waikato Highway.
The 22km stretch is the last stretch of the 102km four-lane highway that is expected to reduce travel time between Auckland and Tīrau by 35 minutes.
It is also expected to significantly reduce the number of accidents with fatal and serious injuries.
The section of the road will be officially blessed on July 12 and opened shortly thereafter. Here are some key numbers to keep in mind when driving for the first time.
Christel Yardley / Stuff
The Hamilton section of the Waikato Highway has 16 km of steel W-section barriers and 750 street lights.
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5,500,000
5.5 million cubic meters of land have been moved. Earthworks generally took place in the summer months with the drier weather – however, a wet summer in 2016 was one of the reasons why the original completion date was moved back.
110 000
Asphalt, about 110,000 tons of it, was used for the final surface of the road. Most of it was manufactured from a temporary asphalt plant on the site that could produce 140 tons per hour. The approximate cost of the plant was $ 4 million and was placed on leased land near the Ruakura interchange.
10
Three ravines covering 10 hectares have been repaired in the road’s construction. Native bats were monitored while fish and lizards were moved to a “lizard hotel”, a pest-protected fence east of Hamilton, before being released back into the gorges.
CHRISTEL YARDLEY / GOED
The Hamilton section, seen here during a media preview, will be blessed on July 12 and open shortly thereafter.
16
There are 16 bridges on the Hamilton section, 15 of which are concrete and one steel. All bridges were built to survive a 1-in-2000 earthquake. The highest bridge is Kay Rd which is 18.8 meters above the ground. The longest is Mangaonua Bridge at 150m long, which also has the deepest mounds at 50m.
110
Drivers will be able to drive at 110 km / h on the Waikato Highway between Hampton Downs and south of Cambridge. This means people will be able to safely cover a continuous 78 km at the increased speed. There are only two stretches of road in New Zealand with 110kph signs.
7500
7,500 people were taken to the site over the building, including subcontractors, excluding visitors. There were up to 600 people working on the department in the first few years. The contract was awarded to CityEdge Alliance in November 2015 consisting of Fletcher Construction, Higgins, Beca, Coffey and Waka Kotahi, with Hick Bros a sub-alliance for earthworks.
CHRISTEL YARDLEY / GOED
There are 16 bridges along the 22 km stretch
1.8
a 1.8-hectare reserve has been established on a site of cultural significance in Tamahere. There is an installation of artwork and storyboards along the trail and iwi designs on bridge plains. Bridges were also gifted iwi names.
233
There are 233 km of white road markings on the Hamilton section, along with 63 km of flexible wire rope, 16 km of W-section steel barrier and 7 km of concrete barrier. There are 750 street lights and 700 signs – everything from overhead portal signs to destination and smaller signposts.
837
The cost of the Hamilton section of the Waikato Highway is $ 837 million.