When HEB Construction Site Engineer Peyton Sheppard drives to work to help build the Wairoa River Bridge, just minutes from where she grew up, she’s creating a crucial connection that will transform travel for communities around the Bay of Plenty.
The bridge is a crucial part of the $884 million Takitimu North Link Stage 1 project, a 6.8km four-lane expressway between Tauranga and Te Puna, which will replace State Highway 2 and serve an area expected to grow by 16,000 people in the next 20 years.
Peyton says she’s proud of the impact her role will have on the local community of her hometown Tauranga.
“It’s going to be really good for the traffic flow in and out of Tauranga. The existing bridge crossing the Wairoa River is just two lanes and there’s a lot of congestion, so having this bigger bridge [as part of the new four-lane expressway] is going to be super helpful.”
Like many young people finishing high school, Peyton wasn’t entirely sure which career path to follow.
“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do and went to a few career-day events and that’s when I found out that I wanted to do kind of engineering, because you can do so many different things with it.”
After making a “safe bet” on her career plan, Peyton completed a four-year civil-engineering degree at the University of Waikato and discovered her passion for the practical side of civil infrastructure through industry placements as part of her course.
“I really enjoyed being on the contracting side of things. It cemented that this is what I want to do – actually being out there and seeing what you’re doing. You sit in an office and plan it and then you walk outside and there it is taking shape.”
After graduating, Peyton joined HEB Construction’s rotation program for graduates, spending her first six months at a precast yard in Te Puke making the panels and beams used for constructing bridges. When she moved on to the Takitimu North Link project in July 2022, she realised that she had found her niche and stayed put.
Bridging theory and practice
Working on the foundations of the Wairoa River Bridge, with piles reaching up to 55m below ground level, presented unexpected engineering challenges requiring testing and adaptation to overcome unknown ground conditions.
“If you’re working above ground, you can see what your problem is. But we’re working 50 metres under the ground and who knows exactly what’s going on down there?
“In theory we know exactly how to put a pile in the ground, but the reality of it was very different.”
At one point Peyton and her team of four tried to use the biggest pile hammer in the country to try to test a pile’s capacity, but realised it wasn’t big enough, so they built a more powerful tool to prove the pile had the required capacity.
“We built a temporary system that did exactly what we needed and it worked perfectly. It was a very interesting process trying to figure all that out.”
These challenges have accelerated Peyton’s professional development, with the experience creating expertise that has become valuable across HEB.
“Because of the knowledge that I’ve picked up on this project, now HEB gets me to go to other projects and do some of the pile testing. At the beginning of the year I got flown down to Wellington because they had an issue with one of their piles – you learn a lot on the job.”
Peyton says the variety in her role makes it particularly rewarding.
“What I love most about my job is being on both sides of things. You sit in the office and plan how much you need to, then you go out on site and you see it actually being done. You’re figuring things out and doing practical hands-on work. I like the balance of both.
“For me the thought of sitting in an office for 50 hours a week doesn’t appeal.”
The Takitimu North Link Stage 1 project, with its four lanes and shared user path for cyclists and pedestrians, is set to dramatically improve traffic flow in the region when it is completed in 2028. Traffic crossing the Wairoa Bridge is predicted to increase from 20,000 to more than 30,000 daily by 2031.
She says one of the perks is that her family and friends in the area can see the results of her work.
“It’s cool to drive by and know that I’m building that bridge. Knowing that I’ve been part of it is something I’ll have forever.”
Finding your place in civil infrastructure
Peyton says exploring different options and being curious about opportunities is the best approach for young people considering a career in civil infrastructure.
“It’s just about finding where you fit within civil construction. There’s so many different areas you can work in … I think there’s definitely room for everyone in this industry.
“Whatever your personality is, you’ll find a place to fit in and you’ll adjust and learn and grow a lot as well, like I have in the three years I’ve been on the project.”
Peyton says the civil infrastructure workforce is becoming more diverse, with increased female representation.
“The industry is changing, and it’s good to be part of the change by having a job in the industry and just showing up to work every day.”
When all is said and done, the Takitimu North Link project will have involved more than – three million cubic metres of earthworks, work on 10 bridges and 19 culverts, eight stream diversions, and protection efforts for seven wetlands.
It provides plenty of opportunity to develop new skills, and Peyton is continuing to build her skills, alongside the structures she helps to create. As she solves problems along the way she’s ensuring both her career and the Bay of Plenty’s infrastructure have solid foundations for the future.
Video: Aerial flyover of Takitimu North Link Stage 1
About Takitimu North Link
Takitimu North Link is a vital transport link supporting economic growth and providing an efficient, reliable and safer route between Tauranga and Ōmokoroa.
Stage 1 between Tauranga and Te Puna is a crown-funded project delivered by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi due for completion 2028. The Fulton Hogan/HEB Joint Venture is designing and constructing the project, with BBO acting as the principal’s advisor. The designation process for Stage 2 between Te Puna and Ōmokoroa is underway.
