There’s been an early-February milestone at the Te Ara o Te Ata – Mt Messenger Bypass project in North Taranaki.
Work has now begun on the tunnel which is an important part of the $280m Bypass project, contributing to a much more resilient stretch of State Highway 3.
A 110-tonne road header machine is being used to excavate the project’s 235-metre tunnel.
Road headers have boom-mounted telescopic cutting heads, making them ideal for diverse geological conditions. A shovel plate at the front of the road header collects the excavated rock and soil, which is then conveyed via a belt to dump trucks at the back of the machine.
NZ Transport A...