Question mark hangs over major Hutt infrastructure project

Friday, 31 May 2024

A 2018 artist's impression of what was then known as the Hutt River Promenade, which was to be linked to a relocated Melling Station by a new bridge for walkers and cyclists. Six years later, there is still uncertainty about the final design and funding.

A question mark still hangs over Lower Hutt’s much vaunted RiverLink project. It still has no starting date, or a design, and some parts of the project no longer qualify for crown funding.

The future of some aspects of the project are in doubt, due to a change in the criteria used to fund large roading projects.

The project, which had an initial budget of $700 million and a 2023 starting date, includes an interchange at Melling, on State Highway 2, and a new road bridge across the Te Awa Kairangi/Hutt River.

Other features include new stopbanks, relocating the Melling train station, a pedestrian bridge over the river and upgrading infrastructure in central Lower Hutt for housing.

Greater Wellington began demolishing buildings in central Lower Hutt, to make way for new stopbanks, earlier this year.

There is general agreement that the project’s budget of $700m is insufficient.

Earlier this year both the Hutt City and regional councils withdrew from the alliance, set up to deliver the project, to go it alone – Greater Wellington to do stopbank improvements and Hutt City to concentrate on urban renewal.

A report to a Greater Wellington council meeting by strategic advisor Emma Hope confirmed the major roading features still qualified for crown funding.

“However, precise details of what is to be funded by crown sources is yet to be confirmed,” Hope said.

The funding would come from the Roads of Regional Significance fund, which supersedes the NZ Upgrade Programme funding allocated to the project by the last government.

The Melling Station needs to be relocated to make way for the Melling Interchange.

Hope said aspects of the plan that did not have crown funding, included local roads and cycling, and walking, improvements.

Greater Wellington and Hutt council officers would continue to advocate for those to be funded alongside the interchange.

The cycling and walking components remained key aspects of what Greater Wellington and Hutt City were trying to achieve, the report said.

“As the fastest growing area in our region, the transport status quo for Lower Hutt city centre will not be sustainable, and will result in congestion and higher travel times, which will in turn impact travel times and attractiveness of the area.”

One of many illustrations produced for RiverLink. This one features the new Melling Bridge.

Options which support people moving around central Lower Hutt on foot, cycle or on public transport were “essential to reducing congestion” while also improving safety for road users, the report said.

Most of the debate at the Greater Wellington meeting focused on whether the project could encourage mode shift and reduce carbon emissions.

Mayor Campbell Barry later told The Post that the Melling City Link Bridge had always been an integral part of RiverLink and he had written to Minister of Infrastructure Chris Bishop urging him to include it in the final design.

Without a bridge, he said, the new station would be stranded and there was little point in relocating it.

The bridge was also crucial to council plans to encourage urban renewal and apartments in the central city.

“An integrated Melling City Link Bridge also supports residential and commercial growth in the centre of Lower Hutt.”

In March, programme Director Matt Trlin said the alliance would deliver RiverLink’s core components, an interchange and a new road bridge, relocating the Melling train station, new and improved walking and cycling paths, and a new pedestrian bridge linking the new train station to the city centre.

The final design was still subject to the final Project Alliance Agreement to be agreed to by NZTA Waka Kotahi and contractor AECOM Fletcher.

In January Bishop confirmed the project was under significant financial pressure. Every aspect of the design would have to be examined but with such a complex project, finding savings would not be easy, he said.

“Like all the projects, [RiverLink] will need to be sliced and diced.”