The Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One (Ngauranga to Petone) section of Te Ara Tupua will be built on the harbour’s edge from Ngauranga Interchange to Honiana Te Puni Reserve in Petone and connect with the new Pito-One to Melling section.
The project will create a new resilient coastal edge protecting the road and rail, and additionally provide a safe and attractive walking and cycling link between Wellington and Lower Hutt.’
It is being delivered in partnership with iwi mana whenua, Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika, and Ngati Toa Rangatira.
What’s happening?
February 2025 update
Our project team completed the connection of all construction zones last November and recently completed the construction of the Kiwirail traction station at Horokiwi. The team have placed over 60% of interlocking concrete blocks and 70% of vertical seawall blocks required for the project, along the coastal edges of Te Whanganui-a-Tara. While continuing work on the seawalls, the construction team will also be focusing on removing the temporary wharves at Karanga Landing and Ngā Ūranga.
Honiana Te Puni Reserve
Landscaping work has also commenced on Honiana Te Puni Reserve, on the western end of Pito-One.
The highlighted area in the image below has now been cordoned off to allow for this work to commence. This will be in place till mid-2025. The landscaping work is the next stage of the plan and vision for the reserve following the installation of the Tāwharau Pods and the opening of Waimarino, both located on culturally significant land owned by Taranaki Whānui.
Background
Te Ara Tupua Alliance has been formed to design and construct the project.
The Alliance is a team made up of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and our design and construction partners Downer NZ, HEB Construction and Tonkin + Taylor.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is partnering with Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira as iwi mana whenua, and our other partners include KiwiRail, Hutt City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and Wellington City Council.
View the image gallery(external link)
Key elements
Key elements of the Ngā Ūranga to Pito-One section include:
- Revetments: 2.7km of sloping coastal defences protecting the shared path and ūranga. These are designed with the ability to adapt to sea-level rise and are 16m wide on average.\
- Seawalls: 6 seawall segments protecting the shared path, totalling approximately 600m in length. Seawalls are used where necessary to avoid high-value habitat areas.
- Offshore habitats: small offshore habitats for coastal bird life, constructed of naturalised rock forms.
- Shared Path: A 4.5km shared path with a 5m wide sealed surface on the seaward side of the Hutt Valley Railway Line
- Ūranga (landings): 6 ūranga (landings) located at key sites along the shared path’s length providing areas for planting, landscaping, habitat creation, and gathering, resting and viewing areas for people to use.
- Shared path bridge at Ngā Ūranga: A new architecturally designed bridge providing access over the railway.
Timeline
- 2013–2014 Initial engagement, investigations and surveys for the project
- 2015 Seaward side option confirmed as preferred option for Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One
- 2019 Start of consenting design phase. Community and stakeholder engagement on concept design.
- 2020 Application for resource consent made under COVID-19 Fast-track rules.
- 2021 Resource consent approved. Te Ara Tupua Alliance established under Interim Project Alliance Agreement.
- 2022 Project Alliance Agreement signed with Te Ara Tupua Alliance. Detailed design, enabling works and construction works began.
- 2023 Main construction works begin.
- 2026 Expected project completion.
Project fly-through - June 2024
More people walking and cycling
We want to make it possible for people to move around our region in more ways, and contribute to healthier communities. Right now, there is no safe walking and cycling route between Wellington and Lower Hutt.
By providing a safe, attractive path, away from vehicle traffic, Te Ara Tupua will make it possible for more people to change how they travel. More people walking, running, biking or scooting means lower emissions from transport and less pressure on our roads, buses and trains.
By 2030, we estimate people making over 2100 trips by bike on the path each weekday, as well as 360 walking or running trips and around 290 trips on e-scooters or similar devices.
Resilience to climate change
The coastline between Ngā Ūranga and Pito-One is a crucial infrastructure corridor with the road and rail, and critical cables and pipelines beneath the surface. Parts of this system have been damaged by severe weather in the past, like in 2013 when the rail line was washed out causing days of travel disruption/
Te Ara Tupua’s new resilient coastal edge (seawalls and embankments) will help protect the road and rail corridor from the damaging effects of storms.
As well as increased storms, climate change will also cause sea levels to rise. When we build this section of Te Ara Tupua, the embankments and seawalls will be future-proofed so they can be raised in future.
Emergency access
In the event of a disaster that blocks the road or rail lines, the path will be able to act as a recovery route between Wellington and Lower Hutt. It will be further out from the hills and cliffs, meaning it is less likely to be impacted by land slips that can be caused by heavy rain or by earthquakes.
During recovery from a disaster, or if there’s an emergency on the path, vehicles (like ambulances or fire trucks) will be able to use the path.
Environment
While the coastline between Ngā Ūranga and Pito-One has been built on in the past to create our road and rail links, it is home to many different species. Te Ara Tupua will be built in a respectful way that preserves as much of their habitat as possible while ensuring they can continue to live along the coast once the path is complete.
In most areas, the path will be supported by a man-made embankment known as a revetment.
Other parts of the coastline are made up of gravel beaches, which provide valuable habitat. In these areas we have designed a vertical seawall. The seawall has a much smaller footprint meaning almost all of the gravel beach areas will be preserved.
Ecological screens on top of these seawalls will reduce disturbance from people on the path to the birds and other species that use these areas.
Two offshore habitats that look like small islands are being built to provide a place for birds to roost.
