42 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Downer - Manawatu T T Russell Fredric Complex work, leadership rewarded “We had quite a few weather events around the district, so this was an emergency works site. Essentially, the solution for that repair was to install a new culvert in a larger size so that it would withstand any future heavy rain.” T T to page 44 A roading project in Eketāhuna and a young Tararua Alliance achiever from Pahīatua have been recognised at the Civil Construction New Zealand Manawatū-Whanganui Awards, held late September in Palmerston North. For the roading project, Tararua Alliance, a partnership between Tararua District Council and Downer, won the under $650,000 category for a technically challenging culvert upgrade on Putara Road near Eketāhuna. Tararua Alliance manager Daniel Erard says the culvert project involved some special considerations and complexities, due to the nature of the site and the geographically narrow terrain in hill country beside the Mangatainoka River. The culvert is adjacent to a tributary of the Mangatainoka River and provides access to the Tararua Ranges and Department of Conservation land. It comprised 12 metres of 1350mm-diameter concrete pipe in 2.5-metre sections laid in a four-metre-deep trench, with the need to replace it being caused by flood damage, Daniel says. “We had quite a few weather events around the district, so this was an emergency works site. Essentially, the solution for that repair was to install a new culvert in a larger size so that it would withstand any future heavy rain. “Increasing the drainage capacity has made this road more resilient to severe weather events, protecting access for residents and users of the Conservation estate.” One of the challenges was that the works necessitated a full road closure for three days. “It’s quite an isolated road and a no exit road; there were 12 households that were past the point where the culvert was getting installed. “They were quite isolated, so the team put a lot of precautions in place to make sure that everything was going to be fine.” The team worked closely with residents and emergency services to ensure the work was completed safely over a weekend, with local contractors Brownell Contracting working double shifts to get the road open by the Sunday afternoon. Tararua Alliance manager Daniel Erard receives the award at the Civil Construction New Zealand Manawatū-Whanganui Awards.
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