Gray and McBride Streets upgrade - Frankton, Queenstown
As part of the wider improvements to State Highway 6/6A in Frankton—located at the heart of Queenstown’s transport network—Gray and McBride Streets near the Frankton BP roundabout underwent significant upgrades to improve accessibility for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport.
While the visible improvements may appear limited to new asphalt, road markings, and footpaths, this project also involved substantial underground infrastructure work. These upgrades rerouted and future-proofed critical services, including stormwater, water supply, electricity, gas, and telecommunications.
Working in collaboration with the Wakatipu Transport Project Alliance (WTPA) throughout 2024 and early 2025, Stewart Civil undertook and completed the following scope of works:
Installed 400 metres of utility trenches for gas, power, and telecommunications.
Upgraded the stormwater network within the intersection, including the installation of four double sumps and associated manholes.
Relocated an aging 300ø asbestos cement water pressure main.
Surface and Streetscape Reinstatement:
Constructed 250+ metres of new kerb and channel.
Installed 250m² of concrete footpaths and 300m² of asphalt footpaths.
Installed new tactile pavers, wheel stops, signage, and other streetscape elements.
Pavement Construction:
Due to poor ground conditions, pavement works required additional bulk excavation, subgrade preparation, and undercutting. A new subbase was built up using AP65 aggregate. Where existing services had less than 500mm of cover, a 200mm flowable concrete layer was installed above them to protect the infrastructure from damage from future traffic loading.
The project commenced in July 2024 with a scheduled completion date of May 2025. Despite a two-month pause over the busy summer period to reopen the area to traffic, and several scope additions along the way, the project was successfully delivered on time—an excellent outcome for all involved.
