View this email in your browser 20 July 2020 Kia ora koutou katoa  We hope you are all keeping well and warm, particularly as July brings us even colder and wetter weather! Our Aotea Station construction crews have definitely noticed a change in temperature outside but it hasn't slowed the pace at which we work. Walking across our sites you will not only see utility relocation work continuing, but we now have some very large pieces of plant on-site drilling piles and creating diaphragm walls - more on this below.  Also this month we highlight some of our safety practices, business support initiatives, profile a station team member, and provide a taste of what's to come! We always welcome comments and feedback - our contact details are at the end of this email.  Hei konā mai The Aotea Station team Minister and Mayor mark start of Aotea Station construction      Hon Phil Twyford, Minister of Transport and Phil Goff, Mayor of Auckland, recently donned hard hats and protective jackets to oversee the start of construction of Aotea Station’s diaphragm walls. Together, the two Phil's switched on a 90-tonne hydrofraise rig that has made the first cuts in the ground for the station's foundation walls, being built in the middle of the Wellesley St / Albert St intersection. Twin rotating blades on the hydrofraise cut trenches deep into the ground, which are temporarily stabilised with bentonite fluid and then filled with concrete. Across the site we will build over 150 wall panels, usually around 7m wide, 1m thick and over 20m deep.  Mayor Phil Goff and Minister Phil Twyford prepare to turn on the keys of Aotea Station's hydrofraise rig.  Aotea Station's hydrofraise, named "Sandrine" after a worker on the CRL project, prepares for work in the middle of the Wellesley St / Albert St intersection.  Safety training generates midday interest Safety is our number one priority across all our sites, and our crews participate in regular training as part of their work days. One of the more dramatic training sessions involved an injured worker with a broken left femur, found at the bottom of a five-metre trench. In this case a life-sized and realistically weighted dummy was used instead of a real human! The site crew were timed on how long it took to safely rescue the casualty from the trench, and whether certain key actions were taken such as calling a roster of who was on site and an ambulance.  The team passed with flying colours, and the drill was a timely reminder that in construction there is a very real daily risk to those who work on site that we need to carefully manage.  Additional signage for local businesses Being a good neighbour is another key priority for the Link Alliance. When the Wellesley St / Albert St intersection closed in March this year, not only did it impact traffic but it also meant a change for businesses alongside the intersection. In addition, in order for our large plant to pass through the area we will soon remove a small section of this building canopy.  This work is essential to the project however we are aware it can have an impact on businesses. To address this particular issue, we have worked with these businesses to create and install large new signage overhead. This is one initiative among a much larger development response package.  "It's even bigger and better than the original!" Wendy of Greedy Guts Cafe commented, thanking the Link Alliance for the additional signage and support.  Prominent new signage displayed overhead for Western Union & NZ Post, Crayon Hair and Beauty Salon, Christian Science Reading Room and Greedy Guts cafe. Meet Maria, our Environmental Advisor Aotea Station is very fortunate to have Maria Aguiar on the team. Maria leads environmental monitoring across the Aotea Station site, ensuring that our crews adhere to consented guidelines including noise, vibration, and dust control.  Constructing an underground station in the middle of the city centre is no small feat, and we are committed to implementing all possible mitigations to reduce impacts on our neighbours. Maria is passionate about environmental issues and is quick to point out alternative ways if she sees construction activity that could be undertaken with less impact.   Coming soon across our sites! Over the coming months, you'll notice a number of exciting changes across our sites. Fixed hoardings are being erected to protect pedestrians and provide an additional sound and dust barrier - over the coming weeks and months these will be decorated with beautiful art and lighting installations.  Additional street bins are being installed to replace those we've had to remove during utility relocation works, and we're keeping a close eye on any graffiti too. Our new information hub will also be open later this year, to be located near Mojo Cafe on Wellesley Street. Soon you will notice a container arrive in this area and by the spring the space will be complete and ready for all to enjoy. Watch this space! Until then, we are hosting a few public drop-in sessions that will be held in the ground floor lobby of Auckland House (Auckland Council building at 135 Albert St). We'll be there at the following times for a chat about the project, and any questions or feedback you have. Wednesday 22 July, 4pm-5pm Thursday 6 August, 12pm-1pm Wednesday 19 August, 8.30am-9.30am In the meantime our friends at Auckland Live are putting on some amazing and free lunchtime and evening gigs at the Aotea Centre, a close neighbour of ours. Head over to The Weekly Mix to find out more about these lunchtime concerts each Wednesday, and Friday evening DJ sessions. Enjoy! Our email address is: aotea@linkalliance.co.nz  Our phone number is: 0800 CRL TALK (275 8255) then press 3 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Click here if you wish to subscribe to future updates.