50 Victoria Street
Private Bag 6995
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
T 64 4 894 5400
F 64 4 894 6100
www.nzta.govt.nz
25 July 2023
Darren Conway
[FYI request #23381 email]
REF: OIA-13057
Dear Darren
Request made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email of 5 July 2023 requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
The Ngā Ūranga to Pito-One project includes two bridge crossings over the railway for the
shared path. The plans do not appear to show alternative access routes for maintenance
and other vehicles along the shared path between the bridges. If so, authorised vehicles wil
need to cross the bridges.
What is the maximum design load capacity of each bridge?
max vehicle gross weight ?,
max vehicle axle loading?,
If an authorized vehicle crosses a bridge, wil this require any restriction on
pedestrian/cyclists bridge access?
Is there a vehicle route available to by-pass each bridge?
The design for the Ngā Ūranga to Pito-One section of Te Ara Tupua includes one bridge crossing the
rail line, at the southern end of the path near Ngā Ūranga (Ngauranga). At the northern end of the
section, the path does not need to cross the rail line as it connects to existing pathways located east of
the rail.
The bridge at Ngā Ūranga has been designed for 'crowd' loading of pedestrians and cyclists, and for
maintenance or emergency vehicles up to the size of a small fire appliance.
Specifical y, the design loading is based on the axle loads from a vehicle as defined in section 4.3 of
t
he Fire Emergency New Zealand Designers’ Guide – Emergency Vehicle Access F5-02 GD
(December 2021). The referenced emergency vehicle has a gross vehicle mass of 15.4 tonnes, with a
front axle load of 7.2 tonnes and a rear axle load of 8.2 tonnes (refer Figure 11 on page 10 of the
document linked above).
Vehicle impact loading on bridge side protection has been considered using the Standard
AS/NZS1170.1 section 3.8, which refers to imposed actions of vehicles in carparks. Potential impact
loads have been increased (in accordance with this Standard) considering the vehicle specifications
outlined above.
Maintenance vehicles using the path may include those working on the path itself, and the new coastal
defences (revetments and seawalls), as wel as some provision for KiwiRail maintenance vehicles
accessing the rail corridor.
There is no alternative vehicle route to bypass the bridge at the southern end of the path, however
access from the northern end does not require crossing the rail line. Vehicles wil be able to access the
northern end of the path using the existing access road in Honiana Te Puni Reserve. This is capable
of taking heavy vehicles.
An operational plan is being developed for the path, including agreements on when maintenance
vehicles may access the path. We anticipate this wil be scheduled outside of peak use of the path to
minimise disruption. When maintenance vehicles do access the path, we do not expect that the path
wil need to close.
If you would like to discuss this reply with Waka Kotahi, please contact Ministerial Services at
[NZTA request email].
Yours sincerely
Mark Kinvig
National Manager Infrastructure Delivery
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