By Jonathan Thomson
Chief Executive, NZ Heavy Haulage Association
Even more than usual, this year the Heavy Haulage Association has come across roading projects that are simply not up top scratch on heavy haul routes.
Despite the fact that the association was consulted on more than 80 roading projects in the last year, the reality still remains that roading projects go on to construction that:
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Simply did not take into account that they are used as a heavy haulage route, or
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Are designed to insufficient standards, or
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Basically ignored the association submissions on the needs of a heavy haulage route.
Now I’m not going to name names as in many cases the association is still involved in negotiations with NZ Transport Agency and local councils about designs of roading projects. But the fact still remains that the country is already littered with examples of where decisions to compromise roading designs result in on-going issues for road controlling authorities as well as transport operators.
Do I need to remind everyone about the Onewa Road Bridge strike or other more recent bridge strikes on Auckland’s Southern Motorway? What about the truck with concrete panels on the back that was wedged under the Petone overbridge in Wellington last December, or under the rail overbridge in Christchurch. Sure, in many of these cases, the transport operator should have known better – but in many cases these are not members of a specialised association who know where the overheight restrictions are.
Of course, if roading projects are designed with suitable clearances in the first place then these issues are far less likely to happen.
Has the association been sitting on its hands, hoping that things will come right? Of course not.
Heavy haul routes
The first question that arises is what routes are heavy haul routes? A number of years ago the Heavy Haulage Association worked with Transit NZ to produce sets of overdimension and overweight route maps. These have previously been in hard copy, but have recently become available on NZTA’s website. See: www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/overdinmen-veh-route-maps, and www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/overweight-permit-route-maps.
Road design specifications
The next question is, what are the design requirements for these routes? Since 2003 the association has produced a document for this, which is available on the association’s website. The document is in a continual improvement cycle, given the increasing range of roading constructs that turn up. The latest variation is the design of wire rope median barriers.
However, this is not to say that on some roading projects good compliance with our specifications is not achieved. Take the recently completed Dowse to Petone project where a number of overbridges and an interchange were constructed that exceed the requested requirements and are a brilliant example of thinking towards the demands of the future. The overbridges on State Highway 2 near Mangatawhiri and on State Highway 18 in Auckland are all now meeting or exceeding our specifications for heavy haulage routes.
On the downside, the association has recently had to deal with roading projects in Timaru, Taupo, Tauranga, Whangarei, Hawke’s Bay and Auckland where designs have been proposed (or in cases constructed) that are simply not suitable. This will force heavy haulage loads to use alternate routes (often through residential areas) or to need to run heavy transporters over islands, median strips, lower traffic signals or undertake very slow manoeuvres that will take time, hold up traffic, case damage to the roading infrastructure and transport gear, and generally are not suitable. This is frustrating when we know that it is possible, in practically all cases, to build suitable heavy haulage routes.
So why should we continue to build roads that are suitable as heavy haulage routes?
Basically, it’s because in many sectors of the contracting and construction industry, bigger is better – or at least more efficient.
In recent times there has been a rise in the number of bigger and bigger construction vehicles. The components that are being used in various projects are frequently constructed offsite and then transported to their final location. And, there is a growing demand for large objects to be constructed in New Zealand and then shipped off shore.
The efficiencies of scale that can be gained are demonstrated around the world, and we will only be placed to take advantage of these if suitable transport infrastructure is provided around the country.
People both from outside and well as inside the heavy haulage industry would be quite surprised to hear of the number and the scale of overdimension and overweight objects that are transported around the country. Consequently, the association is currently undertaking research about this in order to demonstrate in some detail the size and breadth of the heavy haulage industry.
So next time anybody is involved in the construction of a project on the nation’s roads, then perhaps just ask whether any consideration has been given to the fact that it is on an identified heavy haul route and it needs to be designed as such.
It’s a lot easier to make some modifications before the first lot of concrete is poured, than after the last one.
Contractor Vol.34 No.4 May 2010
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