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 provide a safe and attractive route for walking and cycling between the two cities, and a new resilient coastal edge protecting the road and rail. 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?

Updated July 2023

Work is now underway on Te Ara Tupua between Ngā Ūranga and Pito-One. Activity is ramping up with a start on temporary wharves, construction of offshore habitats , and the first work on new resilient coastal edges (known as revetments).

Temporary wharves will enable our team to use barges to transport materials around the site and open up the possibility of working from the middle of the project site.

The offshore habitats provide spaces for birds to roost away from construction activity, and into the future after the path opens.

Main construction areas 2023-2026

Ngā Ūranga to Pito-One diagram of main construction areas

Honiana Te Puni Reserve

Our construction works at Honiana Te Puni Reserve are underway. For more information please visit the Honiana Te Puni Reserve page.

Honiana Te Puni Reserve

Background

Te Ara Tupua Alliance has been formed to design and construct the project.

The Alliance is a team made up of Waka Kotahi and our design and construction partners Downer NZ, HEB Construction and Tonkin + Taylor.

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.

Mana whenua partnership

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Key elements

Key elements of the Ngā Ūranga to Pito-One section include:

  • 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 spaces will be built along the shared path enabling planting, and creating areas for people to use.
  • Shared path bridge at Ngā Ūranga: A new architecturally designed bridge providing access over the railway.
  • Embankments: Sloping embankments (known as revetments) built of either boulders or concrete armour units, will protect the shared path, road and rail line from erosion by waves. They are designed with the ability to adapt to sea-level rise in future.
  • Seawalls: 6 vertical seawall segments protect the shared path, and are approximately 600m in length. Seawalls are used where necessary to avoid building revetments over high-value habitat areas.
  • Offshore habitats: Two small offshore habitats for coastal bird life, constructed of naturalised rock forms, at least 40m horizontal distance from the shoreline.

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 - 2020

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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.