Petone-Grenada link under review
The planned $270 million PetoneGrenada link road is back on the drawing board after a review suggested it would be prone to landslides, and would cost more than first thought.
The four-lane highway was proposed to significantly reduce congestion on the busiest part of State Highway 1 north of Wellington, between the city and Grenada North, as well as on SH2 to the Hutt Valley.
It was planned to tie in with the completion of both the Ka¯piti expressway and the Transmission Gully motorway, handling an anticipated 30,000 vehicles a day by 2031.
But the NZ Transport Agency is re-examining its plans after finding the road’s design would not meet the necessary earthquake resilience standards.
It also plans to reconsider whether an ‘‘expressway standard’’ road is needed, saying it will take a look at some of the discarded options for the project – which included routing it through the undeveloped Takapu Valley.
Possible changes include reducing the speed limit on the road, adjusting interchanges, and reconsidering the path through steeper hills along the route, all of which could potentially delay its construction.
John Milford, chief executive of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, said after hearing the news on Thursday: ‘‘This is potentially another delay in fixing the infrastructure in the Wellington region.
‘‘My first reaction was of surprise, and disappointment and concern in some ways, because we at the chamber had always seen this road as an integral part of the Transmission Gully, State Highway 1 and 2 relieving the pressure, and being the key part of the infrastructure required to move vehicles and freight around the region.’’
Wellington and Lower Hutt mayors Justin Lester and Ray Wallace both looked for the positives in NZTA’s announcement, saying there was no indication the highway would not go ahead.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford stressed the project had not been put on hold. ‘‘ NZTA informed me they are taking a second look and working out what improvements can be made to this project in light of the lessons of the Kaiko¯ura earthquakes. That looks to be a smart decision to me.’’
NZTA said a review in mid2017, based on knowledge gained from the Kaiko¯ura earthquake, found the highway’s design would not meet the necessary resilience standards.
Emma Speight, its regional relationships director, said it was of the ‘‘utmost importance’’ that Wellington’s critical transport lifelines were as resilient as possible.
‘‘So we applied a very critical eye to [the Petone-Grenada highway],’’ she said. ‘‘We have also reviewed the expected costs, benefits and environmental impacts.
‘‘Together we will reconsider the need for an expressway standard, examine some of the discarded options, and explore how the project could enhance and promote public transport and cycling.’’
A new project timeline is expected to be published early next year.