Melling Interchange to begin this year as part of now $1.5b RiverLink project
Friday, 4 April 2025
The RiverLink Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi project in Lower Hutt now has a $1.5 billion price tag, with the new Melling Interchange on State Highway 2 set to start construction later this year.
Officials from NZ Transport Agency(NZTA)/Waka Kotahi had signed final agreements with contractors AECOM-Fletcher after months of negotiations.
The latest costings were more than double the initial $700 million cost when the Labour government first announced the project in 2020.
The Government would be footing $1b of the bill of the long-awaited project to build the new SH2 interchange, two new bridges crossing Te Awa Kairangi/Hutt River, moving Melling station south and flood stopbank upgrades. The Greater Wellington Regional Council and Hutt City Council would be responsible for $295m and $180m of the project respectively.
Transport Minister and local MP Chris Bishop said on Friday that he had been “dreaming of this day … for many years” and believed it was a very important and very good project in terms of value for money.
“There have been times in the last 10 years that I thought this day would never arrive,” Bishop said. “This is a once-in-a-generation transformational investment in the Hutt Valley’s future.
“Not only will it improve flood protection along the Hutt River, it will deliver better public transport, better walking and cycling, improve safety, reduce congestion and lead to the transformation of the Hutt City CBD and surrounds for years to come,” Bishop said.
Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry said the project was more than roads, rail and flood protection and the city was poised to start its most ambitious infrastructure project in its history.
“It is an opportunity to reinvent our city centre and river edge and enable more apartment living, new businesses, commercial opportunities,” he said. “That will make it a destination for locals, for people within our region and people from across the country.”
Greater Wellington Regional Council chairperson Daran Ponter said it already spent $178m of its cost share on building RiverLink’s flood protection components, including $111 million to buy up 125 properties.
Labour’s Hutt South-based list MP Ginny Anderson said it was a “huge relief” for the project to move forward after years of delays. “It’s great to see both Labour and National backing this, recognising how important it is for our region’s future.”
The new Melling Interchange, replacing the current SH2 intersection that is used by more than 40,000 vehicles each day, was expected to complete in 2031 and the old bridge demolished in 2032.
NZTA transport services group general manager Vanessa Browne said the project shaved off $200m of costs by using a “half clover” instead of a diamond-shaped design for the Melling Interchange, which uses fewer retaining walls.
Meanwhile, the Melling Line now would remain open and terminate at Western Hutt station during construction, instead of closing the entire line for up to 18 months, but Melling Station would be closed for three years starting December 2025 or January 2026.
The regional council said bus routes 145 and 149 from the western hills would be re-routed or extended to Waterloo station.
The Government would also be paying for the new footbridge connecting the relocated Melling station and the Lower Hutt city centre through its Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, after its future was previously thrown in doubt.