Progress Highlights

July 2020

A special, noise-insulated shed was built above the Karangahape shaft on Mercury Lane to allow teams to work 24/7 underneath, creating less disruption and noise for the nearby community. August 2020

CRL’s Tunnel Boring Machine, named Dame Whina Cooper, arrived from China in sections for reassembly at the Mt Eden site. September 2020

The first cuts were made underground at Karangahape Station to excavate the caverns that would eventually form the station concourse and connecting tunnels.

January 2021

A bright green visitor centre named Te Pūkaki opened by Aotea Station in Wellesley Street as a shared space for people to learn more about the CRL. February 2021

Construction across all CRL sites continued to forge ahead, adhering to strict health and safety protocols, despite the Covid-19 Alert Level 3 lockdown in Auckland earlier in the month. March 2021

Te Manawa, CRL’s state-of-theart training facility and visitor information centre, opened in Auckland’s Uptown district.

October 2020

The project celebrated completion of one of its first big contracts. C2 included tunnel construction below lower Albert St and streetscape works at ground level. November 2020

Thousands of Aucklanders got up close and personal with the TBM at the “Boring Day Out”. This month also saw the completion of C8 works at Ōtāhuhu Station. December 2020

Delivered by the C1 team, the city’s newest destination, the traffic-free square known as Te Komititanga next to Britomart Station, was officially opened by project Sponsors.

April 2021

The stunningly refurbished Chief Post Office reopened and resumed its role as the 'front door' to Britomart Station after a four-year CRL-related closure. May 2021

The TBM, the project’s mechanical star, began the first of its two 1.6 kilometre underground drives from Mt Eden Station to Aotea Station, via Karangahape Station. June 2021

To accommodate Aotea Station construction, the project re-opened the Wellesley Street intersection with Albert Street, and closed the nearby Victoria Street intersection.