The consented design for the State Highway 2 Melling interchange has been revised alongside Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi Alliance to identify where improvements could be made.
This type of innovation and improvement is normal practice of the ‘Interim Project Alliance Agreement’ (IPAA), where we work with the Alliance to review the project’s design, plan how it will be built, and find opportunities to improve value for money.
The revised concept design (pictured below) provides better access to/from the state highway, Lower Hutt and Western Hills by building a grade separated interchange and removing the existing Melling traffic lights.
It also includes new and improved walking and cycling paths, better connections for residents and businesses on Tirohanga and Harbour View roads, and better access to public transport (with the relocation of the Melling train station and its park and ride facilities.
An artist’s impression of what the Melling Interchange will look like.
Other benefits of the revised design include:
- Less congestion/more efficient travel during peak periods.
- Improved safety for all road users by:
- removing the existing conflicting right-hand turn movement to and from SH2 northbound
- reducing the risk of accidental right hand turns onto SH2 ramps, or straight through movements from Marsden Street onto the southbound SH2 off ramp, an improvement over the original consented design.
- Reduced number and length of pedestrian crossings on the interchange when travelling between Lower Hutt and the Western Hills.
- The inclusion of a wider shared path over the state highway and river bridges, plus connections to other shared paths (eg Te Ara Tupua).
- 1.5m shoulder on the northern side of the new bridges for on-road cyclists travelling from the Western Hills to Lower Hutt.
- Less environmental impact by reducing the amount of vegetation clearance and slope cuts in the Western Hills, alongside fewer retaining walls and a smaller bridge footprint.
The interchange is part of the SH2 Melling Transport Improvements, which are being delivered by NZ Transport Agency through Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi Alliance (AECOM and Fletcher Construction).
It is part of the wider Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi programme, alongside flood protection upgrades and city centre infrastructure delivered by local and regional councils.
Project map
View larger printable design map of the revised Melling Interchange [PDF, 200 KB]
