Work on building footings for the bridge began before the break. Piles sunk 14 metres into the ground will help stabilise the land before a ramp linking roads to the bridge is put in place.
"The bridge doesn't take long," Mr Hayes said. "The bridge should be built by the end of this year, but then we have to finish off the roading side of things."
Subcontractors GHK Piling managed to put 70 of the planned 280 piles into place by Christmas and 10 more have been completed since then.
Mr Hayes anticipated the piling would be finished within the next fortnight, after which Transfield Services will begin adding a one-metre layer of aggregate metal, named "preload" on top of the new surface.
The preload will weigh down and squash the original ground over a period of six to eight months before it is removed to a different part of the site, in what Mr Hayes called a "cunning" re-use of materials.
He said this settling period means when construction on the new road finally begins, the road will not sink under the pressure of cars and roading materials.
Engineer Mark Seakins said while progress was moving forward steadily, the construction site was wet due to inclement weather. He hoped conditions would improve later this month.
"Once we're getting into late January or early February, things will dry out and we'll get back on track," he said "We're not even really behind at this stage."
The basin upgrade includes walkways in both sides of the river, an art walk-past, developments on Pohe Island, an apartment complex, a Maori cultural centre and new cafes and restaurants.
CEO Mark Simpson said last month the link with Pohe Island would create a world-class experience in the Town Basin for local people and visitors.
