We’re adding a clip-on shared path to the Waikanae River bridge on Old SH1. This clip-on will provide a new walking and cycling path over the river.
To install this clip-on bridge as safely and efficiently as possible, the work requires traffic management and a significant detour for southbound vehicles.
The clip-on path is a part of the wider Mackays to Peka Peka (M2PP) revocation project. This project is all about making changes and improvements to the old State Highway 1 reflecting the way it is now used, with the M2PP section of the Kāpiti expressway open. NZ Transport Agency and Kāpiti Coast District Council worked together to develop the revocation plan.
Mackays to Peka Peka (M2PP) revocation
M2PP section of the Kāpiti expressway
Once installed, the clip-on bridge will make crossing Waikanae River safer for pedestrians and cyclists, and better separate drivers from those walking or cycling.
The clip-on project is budgeted to cost $1.9 million (shared by NZ Transport Agency and Kāpiti Coast District Council).
Work is expected to run from 16 January 2024, until April/May 2024. We're working with our contractors to identify opportunities wherever possible to accelerate the work, as we understand the detour is disruptive.
View Waikanae Bridge project images
Key travel information
- The bridge is closed to southbound traffic during installation, with a detour via the Expressway. If travelling between Waikanae and Paraparaumu please use the detour, and allow extra time.
- All roads into Waikanae remain open, with a detour only when leaving Waikanae. Access for northbound traffic remains open on the old SH1 with temporary speed restrictions in place.
- For safety reasons, pedestrians won’t be able to access the bridge while traffic management is in place. Access to the Waikanae River trails either side of the bridge remains open.
- Traffic management staff will be on site 24/7 to allow emergency vehicles, school buses, and other exemption pass-holders across the bridge.
- Access to homes and businesses on the Main Road north of the bridge (including Juli Hunter Eco Friendly Style clothing store) will be available during the construction period.
- We’re expecting to be able to open up both lanes by late April.
We identified a detour as the best way to manage traffic, and provide consistent, reliable travel times for the region. Other options were carefully considered. A stop/go was ruled out because, from past experience, it would lead to long queues and delays in both directions. This leads to safety concerns including the risk of vehicles queueing across the local rail level crossing.
We understand the detour means delays and longer journeys for road users, and we acknowledge this is frustrating. We are working with our contractors to complete the project as quickly as we practically can.
Our team at the Wellington Transport Operations Centre (WTOC) are actively monitoring traffic flows on the detour route. They are adjusting the phasing of traffic lights to ensure traffic flows smoothly, and working to keep queues to a minimum, particularly at the expressway offramp at Kāpiti Road.
Wellington Transport Operations Centre
Download Waikanae Bridge detour map [PDF, 378 KB]
Southbound access
Road users travelling south between Waikanae and Paraparaumu will need to use the detour via the Expressway during the work. We acknowledge this means longer journeys for people and we understand the impact this has on the community. This is the best way we can keep traffic moving safely and provide certainty of journey times.
During construction, there will be limited southbound access which will allow emergency services and school busses to cross the bridge. Any other southbound access requests are being assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Please send all enquiries and requests to M2PPrevocation@nzta.govt.nz
Timeline for the work
Clip-on foundations
From the start of the project until about late February our contractors will be working to build the foundations for the ends of the clip-on at each end of the Bridge. Given the constraints of the site, and the location of the foundations immediately next to the road, this requires the one-way detour to be in place, as workers and machinery will be using the nearest road lane.
This will be followed by a few days to establish a pad for the crane which will be used to add the clip-on structure to the bridge.
Demolition and new clip-on
From late February until the project is finished workers will begin to modify the existing bridge, removing the existing footpath, handrail, and barrier. We need to keep one lane closed on the bridge at all times when the footpath and railings are removed, as there will be an exposed edge over the river.
Crews will then add the clip-on structure in sections, which have been prefabricated off-site and add the finishing details such as the new handrail and vehicle safety barrier. Attaching the pre-made trusses involves attaching hundreds of bolts to the existing bridge structure.
This work must be done with extreme care, as the bridge is also home to critical water pipes and electrical cables.
At the same time as work on the bridge, crews will be working on elements off the bridge such as connecting paths, retaining walls and landscaping.
3D model of the completed clip-on showing the handrails and new pathway.
3D model of the completed clip-on shown from below showing the brackets supporting the path above.
