All City Rail Link work to stop for lockdown - essential construction to carry on

All construction work has today stopped on Auckland's City Rail Link as the country prepares to go into lockdown at 11.59pm tomorrow night. The government has today also outlined exactly what type of construction work is considered essential and may carry on.

That work includes the following:

+ Any entity involved in building and construction related to essential services and critical infrastructure

+ Any entity involved in building and construction required immediately to maintain human health and safety at home or work

+ Any entity that perfoms or is involved in building and resource consenting necessary for the above purposes

City Rail Link chief executive Sean Sweeney said the immediate priority was the security of the construction sites, and that measures would be put in place to keep each site and the surrounding areas safe.

Construction work will restart again as quickly as possible when the shutdown period is over, Sweeney said.

The $4.4 billion project includes the construction of a 3.5km double-track tunnel beneath Auckland's city centre between Britomart Transport Centre and Mount Eden Station.