Hiwa-i-te Rangi TBM has reached the 10-km mark after leaving a site next to Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant in August 2021, as she heads to Pt Erin, Herne Bay to build the 16.2-km Central Interceptor wastewater tunnel. 

The almost 200m long TBM is currently 100m north of the Haverstock Rd Central Interceptor site, Sandringham and sitting 70m below ground as she builds the 4.5m diameter segmented tunnel. The TBM travels around 15m per day and lays eight to ten tunnel rings. 6,250 segment ringsThe Central Interceptor project will significantly improve water quality in streams and beaches, by capturing combined stormwater and wastewater flows and taking them to the treatment plant for processing rather than discharging into the environment during heavy rain. 

On the beginning of March Hiwa-i-te-Rangi successfully broke through the latest shaft at the Haverstock Road site in Sandringham. She broke through the shaft wall 50-metres beneath Auckland. The next challenge is breaking through into the Lyon Avenue shaft Lyon Avenue, St Lukes, in May. 

The section one of the tunnel from May Rd, Mt Roskill south will go live by the end of the year.

The Central Interceptor project is being delivered by Ghella Abergeldie JV, with around 600 staff working across 16 sites in Auckland. 

Meanwhile micro-TBM Domenica is travelling 300-m from Rawalpindi Reserve to Norgrove Avenue in Mt Albert, tunnelling the final drive to build Link Sewer B, the second of two branch sewers to intersect the main tunnel. A giant new pump shaft and pump station are also nearing completion at the Māngere site. The pump station will send flows from the main Central Interceptor tunnel to the neighbouring treatment plant for processing. The surface works will be completed over the next 12-18 months.

For further information click here and nz/18 for tunnelbuilder archive. Visit  https://www.watercare.co.nz/. and https://www.gajv.co.nz/. 15/24.