Multiple key milestones achieved on the East Taupo Arterial

The month of April was a month of achievements as three key milestones were reached in construction of the East Taupo Arterial (ETA).

ETA Project Manager, Ron Boyle says a number of key milestones were completed in April and the highway is really starting to take shape. “We are now into the business end of the ETA construction. We have four major bridges, a road with chip seal, road signage plus the first street lights are being installed. These are significant milestones for the ETA especially when you consider just over 12 months ago machinery hadn’t arrived for the earthworks season.”

He says chip sealing in the southern zone has commenced and 8km of the ETA has now been sealed with the majority of the main alignment expected to be completed prior to the onset of winter.

225 pre-cast concrete slabs have been positioned on the Waikato River Bridge and 288m3 of concrete (58 truck loads) was poured creating a 250mm thick bridge deck, and the last of 14 sections of the 440m Wairakei Steam Field Bridge has been put in place.

“Fulton Hogan has done an outstanding job to date and are still on track for completion around October 2010 - approximately six months ahead of schedule,” said Mr Boyle.

Work will now continue constructing the bridge deck and concrete roadside protection barriers.