Work on Te Kaha stadium set to begin in earnest

It has been a controversial project, but work is finally set to begin on the Te Kaha Multi-Use Arena, beginning with its substructure and foundations.

110 truck loads of concrete will be laid over the next week in the southwestern corner of the central city site.

The work marks the start of the main construction phase, and is a significant milestone for the $683m project.

Te Kaha project delivery chief executive David Kennedy said there would be 40 large concrete pours starting as early as 2am, along with a significant number of smaller ones over the next seven months.

He said there were a number of reasons why the large concrete pours need to start so early in the morning.

"One of them is not wanting to clog all of the surrounding street networks up with with 100 plus trucks at commuter traffic time".

Other reasons he said was to minimise heat stress on staff, and the ambient weather during that period of of the day ensured a consistantly good finish for the concrete.

Contractors are putting in a range of measures to try to minimise noise in the central city.

"All of the activity is in the centre of the site, as far from the boundaries as possible," Mr Kennedy said.

Noise barriers and using quieter equipment where possible were other options.

The series of 40 early-morning concrete pours continue through until mid-August.

It is hoped Te Kaha Multi-Use Arena will be completed by April 2026.

 - Geoff Sloan, Public Interest Journalism