Construction on Petone to Melling cycling and walking link underway

Thursday, 31 October 2019

Construction of the Petone to Melling cycleway is set to get underway. Pictured: An artist's impression of a cycleway to be built in the rail corridor.

The first step to linking Wellington and Lower Hutt via cycle and walkway is underway.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is pushing ahead with the next stage of Te Ara Tupua following a ceremony to mark the construction of the Petone to Melling cycleway.

The Petone to Melling cycleway aims to provide safe travel for people commuting via bike on State Highway 2 or Hutt Road. Pictured: An artist's impression of the Petone Underpass to be built south of Petone Station.

Construction will be completed in two sections, Ngauranga to Petone – which has designs awaiting consent – but first Petone to Melling, which will cost $30 million.

Hutt City Council has handed over $1m worth of funding for the project with the remainder covered by the NZTA's National Land Transport Fund.

The NZTA will start work on the cycle/walkway called Te Ara Tupua in two sections – Ngauranga to Petone and Petone to Melling. Pictured: An artist's impression of Normandale's new shared path across the park.

* Designs revealed for long-awaited Ngauranga to Petone shared pathway

* Extra 12,000 vehicles to hit State Highway 2 between Lower Hutt and Wellington**

NZTA Regional Relationships director Emma Speight said construction of the Petone to Melling section was expected to take approximately 18 months.

The Petone to Melling section includes two new rail underpasses, at Parliament St in Melling, and south of Petone station.

At its northern end the path will link to the Hutt River Trail, and to the south it will connect to Hutt Rd.

In future, the harbour-side would link between Ngauranga and Petone, Speight said.