This year set for RiverLink start
After more than a decade of planning, RiverLink has a preferred contractor and work is scheduled to start later this year.
The project, with an estimated budget of $700 million, will transform central Lower Hutt and drastically reduce the chances of the city being flooded by Te Awa Kairangi/Hutt River. The project will be the biggest infrastructure project in the region, since the completion of Transmission Gully.
Mayor Campbell Barry said RiverLink would help the city respond to some of its biggest challenges.
As well as beefing up central city stopbanks, RiverLink features an interchange at Melling, a relocated train station, and new vehicle and walking/cycling bridges across the Te Awa Kairangi /Hutt River.
‘‘RiverLink is a transformational project which will revitalise our city centre and help us respond to increasing congestion, the effects of climate change, improving connections within our transport network and the need for the development of more housing due to our growing population,’’ Barry said.
In 2022, the city council received $98.9m from the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund to upgrade infrastructure it hopes will lead to more than 1000 new apartments and dwellings.
The project is a joint one involving the regional and city councils and Waka Kotahi. If all goes to plan, the preferred contractor, AECOM-Fletcher, will start work later this year with a 2027 completion date.
The city council began working on redesigning the central city in the early 2000s.
When the final detailed design, cost and construction approach is agreed upon, a project agreement will be signed later this year, with construction to start soon after.
Although it has long been costed at $700m it is clear the eventual cost will be significantly more.
In March, Greater Wellington chair Daran Ponter said the project was ‘‘likely to rise in cost’’ and Greater Wellington would deal with that once the cost became clearer.
WHAT WILL RIVERLINK ACHIEVE?
❚ It will safeguard residents from large floods that could affect up to 3000 homes, five schools, 600 businesses and the Hutt Hospital with the potential to cause an estimated $1.1 billion of damage across the community.
❚ It will enable urban growth and improve transport safety and connections in central Lower Hutt.
❚ According to the regional council: ‘‘RiverLink will turn Lower Hutt into a true river city, putting our taonga – Te Awa Kairangi/Hutt River – at the heart of our community. Developing in harmony with our environment will help us to build a strong and vibrant, progressive city.’’
❚ The popular Riverbank Market will need to find a new home.