Working on the Waikato Expressway was a career-defining experience for surveyor Bayley Smith. Decades in the making, the landmark project reached completion in July 2022 with the delivery of the Hamilton section, where Bayley was part of the team.

Bayley began her career as a graduate surveyor with Fletcher Construction, joining the CityEdge Alliance responsible for delivering the final stage of the expressway. One of the highlights of her role was introducing drone technology to the project. At the time, the team regularly hired external drone pilots to carry out survey work. Seeing an opportunity to broaden her skills, Bayley trained as a drone operator herself, and the team invested in a drone for her to use.

“It’s paid for itself many times over, and I’m getting more confident using it,” she says.

With the expressway complete, Bayley took the next step in her career, moving into a role with Fletcher Construction’s Engineering Services team.