A major step forward for the Penlink project took place last week, with the first beams installed on the new bridge over State Highway 1.

During a full SH1 closure, the team placed four of six Super T girders, each 34.5 metres long and weighing 68 tonnes.

A 600-tonne crane was used to lift the beams into place.

The final two will be installed this week.

This new bridge is one of six connecting Whangaparāoa to SH1.

It’s designed to make travel quicker, improve network resilience, and support growth, including new housing developments.

The bridge has been future-proofed to allow for SH1 to be widened later.

Construction continues along the route in April.

On both sides of SH1 and Ara Weiti Road, earthworks and drainage are underway.

With beams now in place, concrete will soon be poured to form the bridge deck.

Work is also progressing on retaining and MSE walls at the Link Road tie-ins.

High Reach Drill installing rock bolts (photo credit: Geovert)

At Stillwater, land-based piers on the Weiti River bridge are complete, and river piers are rising.

Temporary supports for the bridge deck are being built.

Later this month, part of Duck Creek Road will return to two lanes, with traffic lights during work hours only—helping ease local travel.

In Whangaparāoa, realignment of the road continues, and the Cedar Terrace intersection remains temporarily closed.

Earthworks are ongoing between Whangaparāoa Road and the Weiti River, including drainage, culverts and watermain works.

The site office near Wiriana Place is being relocated.

Near the river, a high-reach drill is being used to install steel rock bolts and crest pins, reinforcing the rock face where the bridge will land.

Across the project, around 800,000 cubic metres of earth have been excavated so far, much of it reused on site.

Locals may notice this work near SH1 and East Coast Road, where excess earth is being placed to reduce waste and truck movements.

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