Project Spotlight: NZ's $267mil Southern Corridor Improvements Project

Leighton Contractors, a registered PlantMiner searching company, has recently secured the $267 million Southern Corridor Improvements Project, connecting Auckland to the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and the rest of New Zealand. Read more about the project's critical link to NZ's transport network, and how PlantMiner suppliers provided rates for Leighton's latest project. 

Contractor: The contract was awarded to Leighton Contractors in August 2015. The company is involved with the State Highway 16 upgrade (Northwestern Motorway) and was part of the alliance that successfully delivered the Northern Gateway Toll Road and Newmarket Viaduct Replacement.

Leighton Contractors Managing Director Román Garrido said: “Delivering new and upgraded transport infrastructure under live traffic conditions is a core capability for Leighton Contractors, the CIMIC Group’s construction company. Our team is focused on providing the Transport Agency with innovative design solutions and construction methodologies that deliver value for money, mitigate construction impacts and enhance network operations.”

Tender process: Leighton Contractors submitted a request for rates from local suppliers through PlantMiner NZ in April 2015. They were impressed by PlantMiner's ability to capture a market place and comprehensively source 100% FREE quotes for their tender application, with equipment including:

• 2T - 13T Rollers
• 5 - 30T Excavators
• D5 - D7 Dozers
• G12 - G16 Graders
• 6T - 9T Dump trucks, 4-6 wheeler trucks, truck and trailers, Hiab Truck, Vacuum Excavation Trucks, Watercarts
• CAT 908 - 910 Wheel Loaders
• 16T - 25T Franna Cranes, 25T - 50T Mobile Cranes, 50T-80 Crawler Cranes, 150T - 300T Cranes
• Air compressors
• Boom Lifts

Client: NZ Transport Agency. The project is one of four Government accelerated transport projects for the Auckland region and the Transport Agency’s second to be delivered following the State Highway 20A to Airport project.

Duration: Preliminary construction is expected to begin in October 2015, and to complete the project in 2018. The project will be opened in stages to coincide with the opening of the Waterview tunnel in early 2017. 

Project: This project covers the stretch of Southern Motorway (SH1) from the SH20/SH1 connection at Manukau down to Papakura in the south. Additional lanes will be created in both directions and the Takanini Interchange will be redesigned to improve safety and access onto the motorway.

“The Southern Corridor is a key route from the north, connecting Auckland to the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and the rest of New Zealand. The project is one of a range of improvements being developed to address growth and demand within and south of Auckland by helping to move people and freight more efficiently,” says the Transport Agency’s State Highways Manager for Auckland and Northland Brett Gliddon.

The SCI project includes:

• Southbound widening -  to 4 lanes between SH20 and Hill Road and to 3 lanes between Hill Road and Papakura
• Northbound widening -  to 3 lanes from Papakura to Takanini
• Takanini Interchange upgrade
• Upgrade of 16 existing bridges and construction of 6 new structures
• A new 4.5km walking and cycleway
• New LED lighting

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to address existing bottlenecks at several locations along the Southern Motorway to provide a more reliable trip for all road users. There are also known safety risks at the Takanini Interchange, particularly at the northbound merge onto the motorway. Rapid population growth is expected in this area over the next 30 years and the NZ government acknowledges the need to meet the immediate needs of the city's growth as well as future proofing for the longer-term.

There are many factors to a successful tender application like Leighton's - price, local presence, comprehensive risk management, track record and about 20 more. Even after you've met all mandatory criteria, it's vital to competitively answer all desirable criteria. With input from our tender specialists, and information from tender workshops across the nation, we've created this FREE eBook to help your construction company impresss decision makers.