Source: Radio New Zealand
Heavy traffic on State Highway 2 and Hutt Rd at Dowse interchange at 5.40pm earlier this week. Phil Pennington/RNZ
A raft of public works in Lower Hutt is causing headaches for commuters, closing roads and rerouting traffic.
It is linked to Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi, formerly known as the RiverLink project – with electricity renewal work in the area also underway, as well as council roading maintainence.
The $1.5 billion works included flood protection and river restoration work, improvements to public transport links and walking and cycling routes as well as upgrading the Melling interchange which linked the city to State Highway Two.
A new pedestrian bridge was also planned to link the relocated Melling Railway Station – which closed for an estimated three years in December last year – to the city.
Multiple people say in recent weeks there’s been a marked increase in delays and heavy congestion – extending beyond peak times – around the already busy choke point between the city, hospital and housing on one side Hutt River and the motorway to Wellington City (south) and the Upper Hutt and Wairarapa in the north.
The Melling train line to Wellington continued to run from the Western Hutt Station – further south – and each weekday Metlink bused nearly 370 Melling passengers from line’s former end.
Across the river – towards the city – Block Road as well as a section of Pharazyn Street, north of Marsden Street, were permanently closed earlier this month.
While Queens Drive, between Rutherford Street and High Street, was being prepared for the added traffic expected through the area and would remain closed until 2029.
Heavy traffic on State Hughway 2. Phil Pennington/RNZ
Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi works to carry on through 2031
Jon Kingsbury from Hutt City Council said the full extent of the Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi works was not expected to be completed until some time in 2031.
People should expect longer travel times and were encouraged to plan ahead, he said.
“Different elements of the work will be delivered at different times, and disruption will vary as projects moves through scheduled phases.
“We appreciate people’s patience while this critical work is underway. While the disruption is significant, these projects are about making Lower Hutt safer, more resilient and better connected for the long term.”
Kingsbury said the council appreciated the cumulative effect of the multiple works could feel significant especially during peak travel times.
“Project partners are working closely together, alongside local businesses, residents, and transport providers, to plan, sequence and manage disruption as much as possible.
“Traffic management plans and local detours are in place across the city. While alternative routes are available, people should expect longer travel times and are encouraged to plan ahead,” the spokesperson said.
Works overlap regular road maintenance season
The early stages of the work on Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi had also co-incided with Hutt City Council’s road maintenance season.
Beginning in last November and set to continue through the summer to March the program would resurface and reseal around 15 kilometres of road in the area.
Outside of Hutt Central, construction of Tupua Horo Nuku – a 4.4 kilometre seawall and shared path along Marine Drive between Ngau Matau/Point Howard and Eastbourne – had also added to the congestion, with up to three-lane closures, stop/go traffic controls, and a reduced speed limit on the road accessing the Eastbourne Bays.
Later in March, Hutt City Council would also close the intersection of Queens Drive and High Street as the nearby roundabout was removed and replaced by traffic lights.
That piece of the puzzle would be completed near the end of the year and was expected to bring an extra layer of commuter chaos to the city’s centre.
Electricity works clear substations and cables from construction zone
This week – south of the main works – Wellington Electricity also closed the Ewen Bridge on-ramp and a lane across the bridge which linked the city to Alice town, the Hutt Road and the Western Hutt Railway station.
The electricity supplier would be laying trenches for cable removal or installation in the area as cables and substations in the Te Awa Kairangi construction zone were relocated.
Lanes on Market Grove, Marsden Street, and Connolly Street would also be blocked – as new cable was laid down as a part of the project.
Lower Hutt closures at a glance:
- Queens Drive is closed between Rutherford St and High St until approximately 2029
- The northern section of the Riverbank car park is permanently closed to vehicles and pedestrians.
- The Hutt River Trail on the western side of the river (from 800m south of Kennedy Good Bridge to 500m north of Ewen Bridge) is closed.
- Pharazyn Street is closed from near Marsden Street to Block Road until approximately 2029
- Block Road and the pedestrian crossing from Tirohanga Rd over SH2 to Block Rd are permanently closed.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
