Victoria Park ‘dream team’ eyes other highways
July 16th, 2009
The winning consortium for Auckland’s $406m Victoria Park ‘cut and cover’ project is lining up to bid for other Roads of National Significance. Fletcher Construction, Beca Engineering, Higgins Contractors and Australian consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff called themselves the V-Formation for their Victoria Park bid. Beca and Fletcher are also teaming up for the Te Rapa Bypass while Beca is pairing with Fulton Hogan for Christchurch’s Southern Motorway. Fletcher, Beca and Higgins worked on the Grafton Gully extension and the Manukau Harbour Crossing. Beca group CEO Richard Aitken says the group had to “sharpen its pencils” to win Victoria Park.
The Roads of National Significance are timely for NZ’s biggest contractors, faced with a downturn in other commercial work. Aitken says “someone has said there are some priorities here.” This is fortuitously combined with the Govt’s plans to streamline the RMA and the establishment of its advisory board on infrastructure. Victoria Park will yield about $370m for the contractors. The project is “very do-able” though the work must take place with minimum disruption to traffic flows and the protection of historic buildings. Fletcher Construction chief Mark Binns has promised the work will be completed in time for the Rugby World Cup though the contractual date is in 2012.
Copyright © Media Information Ltd
NZ Transport Intelligence Briefing
Amalgamated Dairies
Strait Shipping