The Road to Somewhere

I’d imagine that for most people, the last place that they’d want to be on their day off would be at work. Which technically wouldn’t be a day off except for the fact that they’re not getting paid. Thankfully most people aren’t engineers.

You see, to an engineer, there is nothing more interesting to do on your day off than to go and look at some engineering. It’s true. Sad, but true. It was a long running joke for a while that once, whilst out on a shopping trip with my parents and heading to the pub for a well earned pint, both my Sarah and I stopped in our tracks as we passed a fenced off area, stared down into the huge hole that had been dug and discussed what was going on, why, and what the risks were. Only an engineer could find a hole in the ground more interesting than a pint in a pub. 

Anyway, even I would draw the line at visiting my own project whilst 'not working'. That was, however, until today. Today, my project was having an Open Day so what else was there to do on a bright and sunny Auckland Sunday than to jump in the car and see what was going on. A busman’s holiday so to speak. Which is kind of fitting because the first thing we did when we got to the designated car park was to jump on a bus.

Before I go any further, and to attempt to quell any thoughts that I’ve lost my mind, there are some mitigating circumstances that I feel compelled to explain.

Firstly, this is no ordinary project. The Puhoi to Warkworth PPP is the construction of 18km of brand new motorway through mainly native New Zealand bush. In completing the $800m project, 150 Ha of forest will have been removed, 7 bridges will have been built, 11 million cubic metres of earth will have been moved, nearly 8km of drainage culverts constructed. But before all that, erosion and sediment control ponds have been built, bats monitored, snails rehoused and 26 endangered gekos relocated. Well technically it was 26. You see we first had to find them and once the proverbial needle in the haystack exercise was completed, they were transported to Auckland University for safe keeping. The University did such a good job that upon our return there were actually 28 gekos ready for a new life on the other side of the road. Clearly a nice break in a warm hotel being fed and watered was good for the geko libido and certain gives a potential answer to 'Why did the geko cross the road?"

As well as increasing endangered animal population, the completed motorway will finally join Warkworth to the motorway network and remove the need to travel on one of the deadliest pieces of road network in the country. At its peak, sometime next year, the project will employ 500 people and utilise over 250 pieces of earth-moving machinery. And if that doesn’t make you want to jump up, get on a plane and take a look then you’re clearly not an engineer!

Secondly, my partner is also an engineer so was curious to see what was going on. Admittedly there wasn’t a hole in the ground to take a look at, not yet anyway, but there was some big machinery on display. And a sausage sizzle. What more could you want for a top day out?

One day this will be all roads...well one road but you get the idea

My plan was, if you can call a loose idea formed whilst walking across the car park such a thing, to attend incognito. Keep my head down and see what was going on. A bit like a secret shopper I suppose. Not that I thought that there would be anything untoward or faintly dodgy going on, but as a member of the Client team I didn’t want to be seen to be interfering. Unfortunately my ‘plan’ didn’t last long.

“Good morning, shouldn’t you be helping out?”, joked the guy* on the registration desk. 

Rumbled. And there was I thinking that my sunglasses, hat and the fact that I was wearing shorts was an effective disguise.

* Note - I obviously know this persons name but in the interests of anninomity I’ve left it out. It’s not important but I didn’t want anyone to get the impression that I’m one of those client who doesn’t know the name of people on the project. If it bothers you let’s just call him Trevor, which is obviously not his real name but somehow it seems less impersonal.

As the bus wound its way along the haul road on the way to the site complex, another colleagues gave an introduction to the project and pointed out things of interest, with only the occasional glance in my direction. As I sat there staring out of the bus window, as an ordinary member of the public, I reflected on what an impressive job the contractor was doing in engaging the local community and was in no doubt that this was, in part at least, due to the level of enthusiasm that the team showed when talking about it. The people on the bus were clearly interested and a barrage of questions occupied the short 20 minute journey. They can’t all have been engineers. The more likely explanation is that they were all locals and are keen to see the desperately needed piece of infrastructure completed.

After traversing a tempoarary bridge, the bus arrived in the site complex. As we hopped off the bus Kar.....err ‘Bob’.... smiled and asked “I hope I got all of the facts right!”.

‘Note perfect”, I responded.

The usual sea of white Utes (Utility Vehicle or pick up truck) had been cleared from the site complex and in their place was an array of displays, food stalls, demonstrations and an area that had been fenced off for two pieces of large earth moving machinery. Against the fence was a colourful sign announcing ‘Free Dump Truck Rides’.

“Oh my god, I’ve got to get a go in that!”, I thought to myself, “That will be sooo coool!”

Maybe I'll get a go on Monday?

...and then my sensible head took over. It would not be a good look for the one of the project team to be seen riding in the cab of a 40T dump truck, grinning like an idiot and waving. I grudgingly accepted that my sensible head was right. Besides, I could just wait until Monday.......

By the time we had seen all of the displays, checked out the equipment on display and eaten our own weight in sausage sandwiches, we decided it was time to head off. 

With the bulk of my involvement due to end next July but construction not due to complete until 2021, it’s doubtful I’ll still be involved when the ribbon is cut. But whatever happens it’s really a great privilege to be involved in such a project, even just to be a small part in a huge machine (I’m back on machinery again - sorry), and to really make a difference. It was certainly not something that I was expecting when I arrived into New Zealand.