Beam delivery for Kāeo Bridge

Yesterday (Tuesday 16 May), 50 tonne beams for the new two-lane Kāeo Bridge began arriving on site, which could delay travel for morning commuters.

At 30 metres in length, one beam a day will be transported to Kāeo from Auckland on a large transporter. The transporter will reverse the concrete supports into the site on the north side of the bridge daily between 9am and 12pm. Waka Kotahi warns that this may impact wait times for traffic over the next four weeks.

Navigating the beam across the old Kāeo Bridge is an intricate task and we will have to stop traffic in all directions while the transporter makes its way around the tight corner and across the bridge. An allowance of 10-15 minutes should be made for this wait time.

Waka Kotahi’s Kāeo Bridge project will replace the current single-lane bridge, removing a significant traffic choke point for visitors, freight traffic and other road users travelling the Twin Coast Discovery Route. A new roundabout will also improve traffic flows. The new bridge is due to open in early 2024.

You can read more about the Kāeo project here.

Image: An example of the jinker in action as a beam is reversed into the Matakohe Bridges site in 2018