Views above a motorway

Photography by Greg Kempthorne

I received an update email from the State Highway 16 Causeway Upgrade Project folks today, which included these wonderful images of the North-Western motorway (SH16) from the air,  shot by Greg Kempthorne who has very kindly given permission for me to reproduce them here.

Above, the Great North Road interchange, looking towards Pt Chevalier (left) and Western Bays towards the central city). Lower right, part of Waterview.

Photography by Greg Kempthorne

Above: Traherne Island, looking towards Pt Chevalier.

From the email, some interesting statistics:
A snapshot of the Causeway Upgrade Project in numbers:
· 20 million years is the oldest geological material (from the Miocene Age) known to exist under the causeway
 · 47,801 hours is the time taken so far to develop the project’s design
 · 4,800m or 4.8kms is the project length between Great North Rd and Whau River bridge on approach to Te Atatu
· 588 birds from 11 monitored species are roosting near our Te Atatu base, increased from 303 birds in March
· 478 contractors have already been engaged to work on site, in addition to the project team
· 181 aerial photos of progress from Great North Rd to Te Atatu were taken in 15 minutes last Thursday
· 80kph is the speed restriction eastbound by the Rosebank Rd on-ramp for everyone’s safety
· Six companies together form the Causeway Alliance

 Photography by Greg Kempthorne

Eastern part of Traherne Island, low tide.

Photography by Greg Kempthorne

The third-built (fourth in line along the river from source) Whau Bridge. The first was the Great North Road one (originally wooden, 19th century), then the railway bridge in 1880, then this one in the 1950s, and finally the Ash-Rata bridge in the late 1970s.