Stage one of critical watermain repairs under Auckland Harbour Bridge is complete

With a million-dollar harbour view and thousands of commuters travelling overhead, crews have completed the first stage of our critical watermain repairs under the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

The work on North Shore Pipelines 1 and 2 is part of a $20 million plan to renew sections of the city’s water infrastructure over the next 18 months.

The repairs being carried out on the 1.2km watermains will help to prevent failures, reduce emergency repairs and keep water flowing to the North Shore.

Project manager Kashif Baloch says work is being carried out in two stages with the help of our construction partner Pipeline and Civil to ensure there’s no impact to customers.

“The first stage, which was started and completed this month, involved replacing the pipe bend for North Shore Pipeline 2 at the southern end of the bridge.

“A pipe bend is a critical component of the pipeline as it directs the flow of water, allowing it to follow the contours of large structures like the Auckland Harbour Bridge."

Baloch says the pipe bend was replaced after inspections and condition assessments revealed corrosion and wear.

“Although planning and design of the pipe bend replacement was completed over two months, the actual replacement of the bend took crews about 12 hours to complete.

“Working underneath the Harbour Bridge was quite interesting; the thump of traffic going across the bridge while you’re working underneath the bridge can be a bit unnerving sometimes, but the view over the harbour is breathtaking.”

Baloch says before one watermain was shut down to replace the bend, our team ensured there was sufficient water in the network.

“We topped up the reservoirs around the North Shore before the planned shutdowns to guarantee that residents and businesses would have continuous access to safe and reliable drinking water.”

Stage 2 is on track to start in mid-August and will be carried out from the suspended walkway underneath the bridge.

“Stage 2 will see us continue to replace and remediate several roller supports to protect the lifespan of both pipelines, allowing them to contract and expand more easily during changing temperatures between the summer and winter months.

“Although this work will not cause water supply or traffic disruptions, residents who live near the bridge may experience noise disruptions from the sandblasting that will be carried out to remove rust.”