Last updated: 18 November 2025
From early January 2026, we need to close the section of Queens Drive between Rutherford and High Street until approximately 2029, and permanently close Block Road and Pharazyn Street north of Marsden Street. The northern section of the Riverbank car park will also close.
These closures will have a major effect on how people move around, and we appreciate they are big changes. Your journeys around these areas will be different, and in many cases will take longer and be less convenient.
Queens Drive is where the new bridge over Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River will connect with the CBD. We need to close it so we can prepare the area for increased traffic volumes, including road and footpath widening, new drainage, underground service relocation, footpaths, lighting, surfacing and road marking. The roundabouts at Rutherford Street and High Street will be replaced by traffic lights.
We will also be making some layout changes to the section of Rutherford Street from approximately Woolworths to where it joins Melling Link. These won’t affect access, but the road will look different, and drivers will need to be aware of construction traffic.
Block Road and the section of Pharazyn Street north of Marsden Street need to close so we can build the new Melling train station and facilities; relocate utilities and complete ground improvements, which are important first steps in the construction of the new SH2 interchange and bridge over Te Awa Kairangi/Hutt River. The interchange and bridge itself will be built right where the kink in Block Road is.
Pharazyn Street will be realigned as part of the works on the western side of Te Awa Kairangi/Hutt River, and is currently scheduled to reopen in line with the opening of the new Melling Station and City Link Bridge, with exact timing to be confirmed.
The next big change will happen around the second quarter of 2026, when we close the intersection of Queens Drive and High Street to remove the roundabout, install traffic lights, and prepare that intersection for the increased traffic volumes the new interchange will bring to that area. This work will be completed in late 2026.
We can’t build the bridge and interchange without these closures. They’ll allow us to work as quickly and efficiently as possible – giving us unrestricted access to the construction sites – and keeping both us and you safe while we work.
Once the northern section of the Riverbank car park closes, the Riverbank Market will move south, but remain in the Riverbank car park. They’ll then move to Dowse Square and the surrounding Civic Precinct later in 2026.
For information about the overall coordinated construction programme, including works being delivered by Hutt City Council and Greater Wellington visit the Te Awa Kairangi website:
Te Awa Kairangi - coordinated construction programme(external link)
