Tauranga Harbour Bridge

The construction of a new harbour bridge in Tauranga is a significant infrastructure investment by the New Zealand Transport Agency. The new bridge complements the existing harbour bridge, completed in 1988, and completes a continuous four lane expressway from Tauranga through to Mount Maunganui.

The project enjoyed strong community support. The creation of the first harbour bridge allowed residents of Mt Maunganui much easier access to Tauranga city facilities, and made it easier for people in Tauranga to access the beaches of the Mount. As the region had grown, congestion on the harbour bridge had become an issue, so local people and businesses were keen to see the second bridge erected. Community engagement extended to volunteers coming forward to assist with the progressive series of ‘pushes’ of sections of the massive concrete deck from the casting shed and out across the eleven reinforced concrete bridge piers. Expenses paid to volunteers were donated to the local hospice, with Fletcher Construction making additional donations.

The complexities of this design-build project for Fletcher included working in a marine environment, excavating under bentonite to facilitate construction of piers, and modifying the existing bridge. Constraints included the need to maintain the shipping channel, airport flight path clearance and a requirement for piling adjacent to railway signal controls and cables critical to the North Island train management system.

Pacific Steel micro-alloyed reinforcing steel is incorporated throughout the structure to ensure the bridge is able to carry the load – and meet the required seismic standards.

Steel plays a major role in creating a strong bridge in which every part of the structure will work hard to support heavy traffic loads. Pacific Steel microalloyed reinforcing steel is incorporated throughout
the structure to ensure the bridge is able to carry the load – and meet the required seismic standards.

The 525 metre bridge is made up of 165 pre-cast segments, up to 36 metres in length, and up to 80
tonne in weight. The 23 reinforced concrete deck sections each include 40 tonnes of Pacific Steel’s
micro-alloyed reinforcing steel. A further 2080 tonnes of our reinforcing steel are incorporated into the
bridge piers, and associated structures.

The steel core of the bridge will carry the load for years to come. That’s the certain strength of Pacific Steel.