NZ Trucking Magazine, August 2023

Page 6

EDITORIAL

BUILD NOW, PAY LATER

T

hirty-two days. That’s how long the new SH1 Puhoi-Warkworth motorway was open to traffic before the first news story broke about the road being under threat. Officially opened on 16 June, the 18.5km road cost $877.5 million to build over 6.5 years and was promised to have a 100-year design life. The completion of another major, long-awaited roading infrastructure project would normally be the recipient of some optimistic words in one of my editorials – and indeed, the new motorway is a vast improvement on the old section of road, which, like many of the country’s state highways, was incredibly outdated and ill-suited to the growing traffic volume north of Auckland. While I’d love to heap praise on the project and cite it as another example of how major roads can and should be built, that sadly doesn’t appear to be the case here. On 18 July, an RNZ report (Heavy rain events reveal landslide problems on Pūhoi to Warkworth highway) stated cracks were already appearing in concrete barriers at two separate points on the route and ground may be moving under an entire section of the motorway. Quoting a 300-page investigation released to RNZ in July under the Official Information Act, construction was beset by landslides and slope failures, though this was refuted as nothing unusual. As Prime Minister Chris Hipkins opened the motorway, the

report adds, Waka Kotahi was aware of a large slip moving towards the motorway at 5 – 11cm per week. It was also stated that following the heavy rainfall at the start of the year, “a pre-historical and deepseated landslide has been reactivated” and the “slope has experienced another landslide and is moving towards the carriageway at a stop-start rate of sometimes more than 30cm a week”, with a noticeable bulge at the toe of the slip and damage to the road’s shoulder. A follow up story by RNZ on 19 July (Pūhoi-Warkworth motorway: Engineer says gullies ‘look unstable’, Waka Kotahi confident of resilience) quotes the report saying “construction was not up to scratch on some of the slopes to start with”, and doesn’t paint Waka Kotahi in a favourable light either. In it the agency states that the road is built to last and engineers are working to stabilise the slide, while on the other hand it states that the slip events during construction occurred “at a time when Waka Kotahi admits that resilience was ‘not yet factored into

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6  New Zealand Trucking August 2023

decision-making’.” What? In an area known for unstable land and for being hammered by heavy – and recently, extreme – weather? How could a road be built with the promise of being good for 100 years when its resilience to the elements was not considered from conception? So, are we dealing with a grand new motorway that was doomed from the start, with millions to be poured into it each year to stem the slide (so to speak)? If this is what’s coming out of the woodwork so early in the road’s life, I wouldn’t be surprised if that turns out to be the case. The fact that its construction and maintenance for the next 25 years are under a publicprivate partnership with N2X gives me some hope though; such contracts usually result in a higher standard being maintained. Perhaps more to the point, however, do we simply expect too much? In a country beset by geophysical and atmospherical challenges, should we expect these will be accounted for and engineered out, or just accept them? Do we expect too

much from Waka Kotahi and its ability to deliver the roading infrastructure we expect after almost a century and a half of motorised transport? Do we expect too much ‘give’ from those who hold the purse strings? I’m a believer in what engineering can achieve. If there’s an obstacle to be managed or overcome in the pursuit of reaching or exceeding a given set of deliverables, there are some rather smart people out there who can make it happen. But I’m also a believer in doing things right from the very start, with the resources required to do the job properly. Sure, roading infrastructure projects are no small undertaking, but when it comes to this and others of huge importance, the Waikato expressway, Transmission Gully or the Mt Messenger bypass, there should be no other acceptable way.

Gavin Myers Editor


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Articles inside

Don’t put off your MAINTENANCE

2min
pages 122-123

LIVELY POLITICAL DISCUSSION HIGHLIGHTS ANNUAL CONFERENCE

3min
pages 120-121

Taking the pressure off the stresses of LIFE ON THE ROAD

3min
pages 118-120

What does ‘good’ look like for a TRANSPORT OPERATOR?

3min
pages 116-117

The rising cost of INSURANCE IN BUSINESS

2min
pages 114-116

The difference between BARRISTERS and SOLICITORS

2min
page 112

Servicing Cardan shaft park brakes

0
page 111

TAKING A BREAK

1min
page 110

Time to think about TIME MANAGEMENT

3min
pages 108-109

WHAT GIVES?

2min
pages 106-107

Education Engagement Programme

0
page 105

NZ TRANSPORT RECRUITMENT Getting the job done

1min
page 104

Ensuring road safety with BRAKE TESTING

1min
page 102

A Changing World Conference 2023

10min
pages 98-101

EVERY OPPORTUNITY

4min
pages 96-97

ROAD USER CHARGES

1min
pages 94-95

THE SALES NUMBERS

1min
pages 92-94

BUILD-AMODEL TRUCK COMPETITION

3min
pages 84-89

DOBBSY REVISITS CHURCHILL’S HEAD

2min
pages 82-83

RENO CALLING

2min
pages 78-81

LIFE LEFT IN DIESEL

5min
pages 74-77

JOINS THE ACTION MANUFACTURING FAMILY

1min
page 73

OUTBACK AND LOVING IT

6min
pages 70-72

SOARING LIKE AN EAGLE

1min
page 69

THE PENTHOUSE

1min
page 68

New Bodies & Trailers

2min
pages 66-67

FARM TRUCKING IN STYLE

6min
pages 54-57

Three Routes to Success

2min
pages 49-52

FORMAL RECOGNITION OF SKILLS IMPORTANT FOR TRANSPORT SECTOR

1min
page 48

PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION

0
pages 45-47

TRUCKING SECTOR PULLS THROUGH FOR BIRTHDAY BOY OLLIE

1min
pages 44-45

A DAY TO ENJOY K

3min
pages 40-43

WHEN IT’S ANYTHING BUT NORMAL

6min
pages 34-38

A Kiwi OEM

3min
pages 31-32

BUILDING AN RH

3min
pages 30-31

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

5min
pages 28-30

BACK TO THE FUTURE

12min
pages 20-28

Iveco Group takes full control of Nikola Iveco Europe

0
page 18

New simulation truck driving course to help stem driver shortage

1min
page 16

Registrations for KW100 live

0
page 15

Transporting New Zealand unveils diversity toolbox

1min
page 14

NRC teams up with Little Trucker Down Under

1min
pages 12-13

Scania NZ expands sales team

1min
page 11

Transporting New Zealand celebrates industry at awards night

2min
page 10

Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway finally opens

2min
page 9

CONSTRUCTION CREW.

3min
pages 7-8

BUILD NOW, PAY LATER

3min
page 6
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