This work forms part of Wellington City Council’s ongoing programme of earthquake and natural disaster resilience works on retaining walls, tunnels and bridges.
City Council Structures Team Leader Faiz Tawfeek says Grant Road is an important transport link between the central city and Wadestown and the western suburbs.
Crews will work 9am to 4pm Monday to Saturday. During work hours traffic will be controlled by traffic signals and the road reduced to one lane.
Pedestrians will have a separate temporary walkway to safely travel past the work site. Cyclists should either dismount and walk through the pedestrian walkway, or stop at the temporary traffic signals and travel through on the green phase with motorists.
The project is in two phases – phase one involves work to build a new reinforced concrete retaining wall below Grant Road, between Newman Terrace and Goldies Brae. The reinforced concrete wall will be 50 metres long and 2.6 metres high and founded on 15 reinforced concrete piles, each 11 metres deep. The wall will be secured with 25 steel anchors, each up to 12 metres long. Along the wall alignment, a new 70-metre pedestrian barrier will be built, as well as a new kerb and footpath. In addition, two street light poles will be relocated and attached to the new wall.
The second phase, planned to start in July, will include the strengthening of the existing 60-metre long concrete retaining wall along the Grant Road slip road (below Grant Road) with the installation of 43 steel anchors, each 10-12 metres long.
The project contractor is Retaining & Civil Construction.
Full details on the Thorndon project can be seen here.
Another key route in and out of the city, Ngaio Gorge, will also see physical works starting later this summer. Crews will start work on new retaining walls, widening and realigning the road, drainage and slope stabilisation work from March. Traffic will be controlled by stop/go traffic management while crews are working. The gorge was the scene of a huge landslide that blocked the road for several weeks in 2017.
For further details please call 04 499 4444 or email info@wcc.govt.nz