Access keys for nzta.govt.nz
- h Home
- m Menu
- 0 Show list of access keys
- 2 Skip to content
- 3 Skip to top
During peak periods and in the weekend, SH2 at Melling becomes very congested with vehicle queues often exceeding storage capacity. Traffic signals in a 100 km/h environment create a safety and crash risk particularly for vehicles queued to turn right onto Melling Bridge from SH2.
The challenge is to keep traffic moving on SH2 in peak times and reduce travel times for commuters and freight, without creating safety concerns or too much delay for people using local roads.
The Melling transport improvements aim to:
The RiverLink team explored and rigorously developed 43 options for a new interchange at Melling/SH2.
The key factors we considered were:
The three options being considered for a new Melling interchange and bridge include:
These options all have the following things in common:
Tirohanga Road will be realigned to connect into Harbour View Road which will be accessed via the interchange. Block Road will be closed. Pharazyn Street will be accessed via the new bridge and interchange.
CloseOur work shows that if we build a roundabout, the traffic leaving the city centre in the evening peak would block the traffic flows coming into the city from Wellington. The queues would eventually extend back onto the highway which would be create a safety hazard. Our work has found that traffic signals are needed to manage the uneven flow of traffic through the interchange especially during peak travel times. The traffic lights will be synchronised to optimise the traffic flows.
CloseThe Melling station needs to be moved and it is proposed to move it south to service the Hutt City centre. All of the interchange/bridge options will preserve the ability to extend the train line further north in the future as this idea is progressed further.
CloseFollowing this engagement period we will work with our RiverLink partners to assess the technical information and the community feedback. We’ll then refine our proposals and recommend a preferred option.
The Transport Agency needs to decide:
The funding hasn’t been agreed and timing for this project is uncertain. The Transport Agency will make recommendations to the NZ Transport Agency Board about funding and timing. Having a preferred option will provide some certainty to the Greater Wellington Regional Council and the Hutt City Council and the community about ‘what’ will be developed in the future.
CloseConstructing new public infrastructure is always disruptive, but we work to minimise the impact. Most of the interchange work can be undertaken without significant road closures. The bridge options that connect to Queens Drive can also be built without affecting current roads. However, a new bridge into Melling Link is more difficult and could require some closures of Melling Link while the new bridge is being connected to the east bank.
CloseWe will use your feedback, alongside technical information, to select a preferred option to continue on to the detailed design stage.
CloseThe NZ Transport Agency (Transport Agency), Hutt City Council (HCC) and Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) are working collaboratively on a programme to improve the resilience, accessibility, efficiency, and safety of the Melling intersection and the wider transport network.
RiverLink involves three separate but interdependent projects:
RiverLink aims to address:
The overall outcomes we’re seeking are a connected, resilient and secure floodplain; an integrated, resilient, safe and efficient transport network; a more liveable Hutt City and enhanced economic growth.
The expected benefits will be:
The NZ Transport Agency, HCC and GWRC are working collaboratively in order to achieve better flood protection, urban revitalisation and improved transportation.
The Transport Agency is looking into a range of options for transport improvements and will integrate these with the GWRC’s flood protection project and HCC’s ‘Making places’ project. The cornerstone investment is to replace the Melling bridge, which will help alleviate flooding.
All three organisations need a degree of certainty about when the Melling bridge will be replaced so that complimentary investment activities can be planned coherently and cost-effectively.
While each partner organisation has its own strategic objectives, we recognise that investment activities need to be coordinated because they’re inter-dependent. We need to work closely together to achieve our objectives and to meet the needs of local residents, businesses, commuters, road users and visitors in and through the Hutt Valley region. To make this happen, we’ve set up a joint working group to discuss integration and coordination across the whole programme of work.
CloseThe estimated cost to deliver RiverLink (2020–2028) is $220–$270 million excluding the cost of a new interchange.
CloseApproximate costs for the three main parts of RiverLink are:
NOTE: this does not reflect the proportion or allocation to be paid by each agency
The Hutt City Council has committed funding in its Long Term Plan (LTP) circa $52M, and the Greater Wellington Regional Council has signalled funding in their draft LTP between 2018 and 2028.
CloseWe are in the very early stages of design and considering three potential options. More work is needed to get a better picture of future costs. We expect that the interchange will cost between $50–$80 million and the land needed to build this infrastructure is expected to cost between $20–$55 million. We will continue to refine our cost estimates as we develop our designs.
CloseIt is too early to consider how the costs for a new Melling Bridge would be met until further work has been completed.
CloseThe following engagement has taken place:
