FIBRE LINK INSTALLATION - HAAST TO HAWEA

Location: Haast to Hawea

Service: Optic Fibre Link Installation

Date started: September 2020

Date completed: November 2021

Challenges

The client chose Marais Laying NZ as its main contractor to install a new underground subduct along State Highway 6 to link the optic fibre between the West Coast and Central Otago.

The objectives where to finish the job in 18 months and to keep the footprint as low as possible while meeting NTZA’s expectations in terms of quality and safety.

Despite being a beautiful scenic drive for those passing by, the mountain range and the lakes between the two regions are a real challenge when it comes to any underground works and communication with the outside. In addition to this, the weather in this area is one of New Zealand's worst both in terms of rain-fall and freezing temperatures.

Solution

We selected different machines to address the different challenges coming our way. While the ST2 is ideal for trenching in the berm, we imported a TRS885 specially for this project to complete the section in the middle of the road.

Result

This project allowed the company to introduce a new range of solutions for the installation of underground services in difficult areas of the country while keeping the timeframe shorter and the footprint smaller than previous existing techniques.