65kms of TL-4 Sentryline - M® Wire Rope Barrier - future proofs Waikato Expressway
Overview
The 22km Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway is the largest roading project ever undertaken in Waikato. Over the last 15 years, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has been delivering the Waikato Expressway section by section with Hamilton being the last piece of the puzzle of the four-lane expressway between Auckland and south of Cambridge. To complete the safety features of the newest section of the expressway approximately 65kms of Sentryline – M® Wire Rope Barrier system from CSP® is being installed on the roadside and as a median barrier.
Background
“We are very proud of our Sentryline – M® Wire Rope Barrier system (a high-tension cable barrier and terminal end) which has been designed and tested to MASH (2016) TL-3 and TL-4 by Holmes Solutions and is the only TL-4 WRSB system available in New Zealand,” says Neil Watson, Head of CSP®. “Our team worked for a long time to bring this new system to the New Zealand market and we are very excited to see it being installed around the country on projects like the Waikato Expressway.”
Specification
“The City Edge Alliance selected the Sentryline – M® Wire Rope Barrier System for this section of the expressway because it meets the MASH TL-4 standard – it’s the only wire rope system that has that rating,” says Michael Beattie, Area Sales Manager for CSP®. “As this is the first WRSB TL-4 MASH system it means this section has the latest wire rope technology which future proofs the safety barrier for many years.”
More than 10,000 driven socket posts and another 10,000 concrete foundation posts of the Sentryline – M® Wire Rope Barrier system have been supplied to two contractors completing the installation.
Labour saving
“Installation of the Sentryline – M® Wire Rope Barrier System is very similar to other driven socket systems,” explains Adam Marsh, Director from PPS Fencing. “The biggest difference is once the posts are in we can place post hardware on before we run wire rope whereas with other products it has to be done at the time of running the rope. This is a labour and cost-saving advantage of the system.”
“Mike from CSP® came to the Waikato Expressway site in the early stages of the project and dealt with any concerns we raised although we were familiar with it due to having installed it at the CSP® site in Onehunga prior to its launch. As barrier installers, we are very happy with Sentryline – M® Wire Rope Barrier. It looks great along the roadside and we look forward to some great feedback once the project is complete,” adds Adam.
The undertaking…
Although the projects already delivered have significantly improved safety and journey time, the completion of the final leg, the Hamilton Section, will enable the full benefits of the Waikato Expressway to be realised, including:
- Reduction of travel times between Auckland and Tirau by 35 minutes
- Significant reduction in the number of fatal and serious injury crashes
- Increased capacity and passing opportunities
- Reduced traffic congestion within smaller communities like Huntly, Ngaruawahia and Cambridge
- Reduced fuel costs and emissions
- Contribution to economic growth.
The numbers …
The Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway involves 4,000,000 cubic metres of earthworks, 16 bridges and an underpass, five major intersections and extensive local road crossings. Building the mega project will require up to 28,450m3 of concrete, 212km of road markings, 126km of fencing, 1.3 million tonnes of aggregate and up to 700 000m2 of OGPA road surfacing.