Maungawhau / Mount Eden Station
Community Liaison Group (CLG)
Minutes
Meeting Maungawhau / Mount Eden Station Community Liaison Group (CLG)
Date Wednesday 26 October 2022
Time 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Location The CRL Visitor Centre at Te Manawa, 1 New North Road
Presenters On behalf of the Link Alliance: Helga Sonier, Robert Potter, Andy Strong and Nick Adams
Edward Newbigin (Auckland Transport) was also in attendance
CLG Members 8 CLG members attended this meeting in person Agenda: No.
1. Welcome and overview:
· Helga Sonier, Maungawhau / Mount Eden Community Manager welcomed attendees including Edward Newbigin from Auckland Transport (AT). The purpose of this meeting was to share an update on the Link Alliance Maungawhau / Mount Eden Station construction progress and respond to questions or feedback from CLG members.
2. Communications and Engagement (C&E) team update:
· Helga introduced a new Senior Advisor on the team before updating on communications and engagement activity.
· Maungawhau Station recently added Saturday perimeter tours on the last weekend of each month. These are proving popular.
· The community quiet space in Cityside Baptist Church that supported residents during lockdown restrictions will be coming to a close on 27th October. Now that restrictions have eased, the demand for this space has reduced.
· The team are continuing to speak directly with neighbours to discuss any issues they are experiencing and how the Link Alliance can support them.
· The team are planning initiatives to communicate the upcoming Block of Line (BOL) and to thank neighbours for their support. These initiatives include a flyer drop, notifications, QR code construction calendar magnets, Mr Whippy ice cream trucks, movies for kids in Te Manawa, kawhe carts and a Block of Line Info Hub.
· Other activities being planned for next year include Aroha in Uptown in February, movies in the park, the Uptown Business Association socialising in Uptown Book and another Branch Out Spring Festival.
· New video content has recently been launched on our City Rail Link (CRL) YouTube channel which includes coverage of the Branch Out in Uptown event, St Peter’s school rail clean up, community support, building structures, and monthly drone footage.
· A special holiday celebration for CLG members is being planned for December 2022.
3. Maungawhau / Mount Eden Station update:
· Robert Potter, the Maungawhau / Mount Eden Deputy Construction Manager shared that work is progressing well on the Station building structure. The team have successfully installed the steel structure and precast concrete panels for the ground level of the back-of-house, and are now beginning to work on the front-of-house.
· The precast concrete stairs are being installed on the (CRL) platform, which will connect the platform to the CRL overpass. In addition, all 17 bridge beams have been installed for the Ruru Street bridge which is part of the future Ruru Street extension.
· The concrete pour for the third and final level of the Ventilation building will commence in early November, with the precast concrete panels to be installed soon after.
· The structural steel for the North Auckland Line (NAL) platform canopy is being installed, with the roofing and escalators to be installed towards the end of the year.
· Work continues on the cut and cover tunnels, with a focus on formwork and concrete pours. The first eastern cut and cover tunnel is expected to be handed over to the Systems team in December 2022.
6. Tunnelling update:
· Andy Strong, the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Project Engineer celebrated the TBM breaking through to Te Waihorotiu Station (Aotea) on 14th September.
· The boring of the two CRL tunnels travelling from Maungawhau / Mount Eden to Te Waihorotiu (Aotea) Station have been completed including cross passages. The TBM has travelled over 3.2kms, installed 2,110 segment rings, and removed over 260,000 tonnes of spoil.
· The team are dismantling the TBM, which was lifted above ground at Te Waihorotiu Station with all valuable parts to be returned to the manufacturer in Germany.
· The TBM gantries have been pulled back through the tunnel to Maungawhau / Mount Eden Station and the team are now dismantling the final gantry. TBM supporting structures including the vertical belt tower and the conveyor belt have been removed from site.
· Our mined tunnelling team continue to work 24 hours, 5 days a week as they progress with formwork and concreting in both CRL tunnels.
7. North Auckland Line update:
· Nick Adams, the Construction Manager for the North Auckland Line (NAL) provided an update on track works. The team are focusing on fit-out and track works within the first eastern link tunnel. Track work near the Western Grade Separation is near complete, with civil works remaining.
· Excavations for one of the tracks on the Western line is complete, the track will now be handed over to the Systems team to undertake track and OHLE work.
· Ongoing utilities and road resurfacing works is happening on Normanby Road Bridge with the expected opening date to vehicles on 21st December.
· Surface regrading for Boston Road and Nugent Street roundabout is underway, one-way traffic will be switched from the South side to North on Boston Road East in late November.
· Construction on the Porters Avenue Bridge lift shafts and façade continues, and is expected to open in mid-December.
· Streetscaping and landscaping on Porters Avenue and Fenton Street have commenced. Early next year, the team will begin paver works on Porters Avenue.
· The Fenton Street Bridge is expected to be installed in late December.
· Upcoming Blocks of Line dates were outlined, which will involve track works, ballasting, levelling, and some civils work adjacent to the track.
8. Questions & Answers
· What is the length of the cut and cover tunnels, and how much of it will be covered?
o Both cut and cover tunnels will travel from the portal to underneath Mount Eden Road Bridge, and will be covered with compacted stone.
· Can the spoil be reused to cover road potholes?
o The spoil material is heavy and has a clay-like texture, it would not be suitable to use on the road.
· When will the Eastern and Western lines be functional?
o Dual track operations are expected to commence in June 2023, a single line will continue to run until then.
· Can you explain why the works on Boston Road are one-way?
o The team will begin constructing 3 tree pits on Boston Road, and a one-way traffic system will continue to be in place until the end of 2023 to allow for this work to take place. Roadworks will reduce considerably during this period on Normanby Road and Nugent Street.
· Will the Fenton Street Bridge be lifted from Fenton Street side?
o The Fenton Street Bridge will be lifted from Ngahura Street, the 5-piece bridge will be lifted into place over the rail corridor while trains are not running.
· Are the streetscapes on Fenton Street expected to be completed by the end of March 2023?
o Due to delays, the team now expect to complete this work in mid-2023.
· Will there be a delay in traffic on Mount Eden Road due to the BOL works?
o Traffic management will remain static. From mid-November to the end-December, there will be concrete deliveries, however the road will not be closed. Traffic management will be in place even when work is not taking place.
· We have noticed an increase in vehicles parking on Mt Eden Road, are these vehicles your workers?
o We will issue a reminder to all workers to park legally in the area, the Link Alliance encourage workers to use other modes to transport to work which include cycling, public transport, and Link Alliance shuttle buses.
· Where can residents access the latest notifications to find more information on night works?
o Our construction calendar on the CRL website provides the most up to date information on work happening in the area. This calendar was previously sent to residential apartments on a QR code magnet link. We will send these out again in November.
· What is the purpose for the set of stairs that connect Mt Eden Road to the NAL platform?
o These are emergency egress stairs, and are not accessible for pedestrians.
· What date will the Fenton Street Bridge be completed?
o The bridge is expected to be completed in mid-2023 but will open at the same time as the station.
· What is the expected completion date for Fenton and Ngahura streets pedestrian entrance to the platform?
o This access point wasn’t part of the original Station design plan, Auckland Transport are committing to this access point and will provide an update at the next CLG meeting.
· There is continuous water spraying on Fenton Street which makes the street muddy. When will it stop? Also, is there any street parking available?
o The team spray water on Fenton Street to mitigate dust, and will continue to spray as we enter the dryer months. Parking is available within the residential apartment building on Fenton Street, however no public parking will be created.
· There is currently no parking surrounding Fenton Street, is it possible to get parking permits nearby once streetscapes are completed? Residents are currently parked on Fenton Street but soon that will become unavailable.
o Auckland Transport will look into this further and will provide an update at the next CLG meeting.
This CLG Presentation is available on the City Rail Link website with all other Maungawhau / Mount Eden CLG presentations and minutes. The next CLG meeting date is to be confirmed for February 2023.