Ferry Building seawall repairs to drag into 2018

Repair work at Auckland's Ferry Terminal seawall - which was left with a huge hole caused by propeller wash from ferries - will carry on into the New Year.

The August discovery by divers of a hole 16m long and up to 1.2m high prompted a repair project that was initially scheduled to be complete by Christmas.

But Auckland Transport chief engineer Andrew Scoggins said due to the "rough, non-uniform" surface of the seawall cleaning and levelling its face was taking longer than expected.

The work had also meant some of the equipment had to be custom made and some brought in from overseas.

A diver at the repair site at the Ferry Terminal seawall. Photo / Supplied

"A level face is essential for seamless installation of the stainless steel plates which are critical components in the repair design," Scoggins said.

"The plates will protect the seawall from further scouring from propeller backwash when full ferry services resume in this berth."

Two more smaller scours had been found elsewhere on the seawall, which contractors would also repair.

These repairs are expected to be finished by late in the first quarter of next year.

Auckland Transport's contractor, STF Limited, was looking to employ a second team of four divers to speed up the process.

Real-time monitoring tools installed since the scour was discovered confirmed the seawall was stable and that there was no danger to the public.

Although Christmas is rapidly approaching, it was anticipated current measures in place to relocate some ferry services would mean minimal disruption to users.