Western Hills Sewer Main Rehabilitation
On behalf of Hutt City Council and Upper Hutt City Council, we are working on a project to line the wastewater pipeline on State Highway 2 crossing north of Melling to strengthen the resilience of the network.
If you have any questions about this work, please contact:
Wellington Water, 04 912 4400
Latest Updates
Heads up - Critical lining works on a wastewater pipe underneath SH2 will take place 24/7 for two weeks, from Saturday 12 April.
Traffic delays expected as critical works to line a section of a wastewater pipeline underneath SH2 starts soon.
These works are crucial to prevent the pipe from failing, which would cause untreated wastewater to discharge into the Hutt River. This would pose significant risks to both public health and the environment and cause and significant road closures. To ensure the safety of our workers and road users, traffic management will be in place.
Critical works to line a section of a wastewater pipeline running underneath SH2 north of Melling, between Block Road and Pomare Road starts soon.
Work is expected to start on the 12 April 2025, aligning with the Easter school holidays, when traffic volumes are generally lower, to minimise impacts on road users. The works will be carried out 24/7 and are anticipated to take two weeks. During this time, daily updates will be provided on Wellington Water’s website and social media platforms.
To ensure the safety of the workers and road users, traffic management will be in place from Melling Link and Kennedy Good Bridge. One northbound lane will be closed and speed limits will be reduced.
When heading north towards Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt:
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To balance the impacts on both lanes and surrounding local roads, one of two southbound lanes will be converted into a northbound lane within the work zone during this time.
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To access Western Hills, use the left lane onto Harbour View Road and Tirohanga Road as usual. However, you can only exit using Harbour View Road.
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If heading to Hutt Central, use Melling Link instead of Block Road to turn right. Block Road will be closed to all traffic except buses and emergency services.
When heading south towards Wellington City:
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Use the left lane to stay on SH2 South.
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To access Western Hills, use Harbour View Road instead of Tirohanga Road, as there is no right turn at the Tirohanga / Block Road intersection.
This traffic layout has been chosen because the morning peak traffic is more spread out and there are more easily accessible alternative routes for the southbound travelling public. The layout and spacing of the intersections also make managing southbound traffic queues easier.
This work is weather dependent, and regular updates will be provided.
The Western Hills Main Sewer Rehabilitation Project aims to line a section of a wastewater pipeline on State Highway 2 (SH2) that is in poor condition and critical to the Hutt Valley wastewater system. The project area is located between Block Road and Pomare Road near Melling Link Bridge.
Due to the location of the pipeline, there are significant traffic impacts once the works are carried out. This work is critical to prevent the pipeline from failing which could lead to untreated wastewater being discharged into the environment and multiple lane closures for replacement works.
Construction work is expected during the Easter school holiday from 12 – 26 April 2025. All works are weather dependent. Crews will be onsite 24/7 for approximately two weeks. Speed limits will be in place and one northbound lane is anticipated to be closed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the scope for this project?
What will the impact be if the pipe critically fails?
What's the timeframe for getting this renewal project completed?
What's the traffic impact of this project?
Why will there only be one southbound lane during the project?
Why is the traffic layout not switched in the morning and evening?
Does this point to a bigger problem with the wastewater network?
All Updates
Heads up - Critical lining works on a wastewater pipe underneath SH2 will take place 24/7 for two weeks, from Saturday 12 April.
To ensure the safety of the workers and road users, traffic management will be in place from Melling Link and Kennedy Good Bridge. One northbound lane will be closed and speed limits will be reduced.
Below are the key things to note:
• One of two southbound lanes will be converted into a northbound lane.
• There's no turn out of Tirohanga Road onto SH2 - please use Harbour View Road instead.
• Block Road exit onto SH2 will be closed to all traffic except emergency services and buses replacing trains.
• To stay on SH2 South when heading towards Wellington City, stay on the left lane.
If you need to access the Melling Station on foot, use the crossing at Harbour View Road as the crossing from Tirohanga Road to Block Road will be closed.
During this time, 145 and 149 bus services will not stop at Melling Station, and instead continue to Waterloo Station. From 22 to 24 April, Melling Line trains will run on alternative timetables. For more info, visit the Metlink website: www.metlink.org.nz
This work is weather dependent, and regular updates will be provided on our social media channel and project page leading up to and throughout the project.
Please be patient with us and plan ahead to allow for extra travelling time over this period.
Traffic delays expected as critical works to line a section of a wastewater pipeline underneath SH2 starts soon.
Work is expected to take place 24/7 for two weeks from 12 April 2025, aligning with the Easter school holidays, when traffic volumes are generally lower, to minimise impacts on road users. During this time, daily updates will be provided on Wellington Water’s website and social media platforms.
To ensure the safety of the workers and road users, traffic management will be in place from Melling Link and Kennedy Good Bridge. One northbound lane will be closed and speed limits will be reduced.
When heading north towards Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt:
-
To balance the impacts on both lanes and surrounding local roads, one of two southbound lanes will be converted into a northbound lane within the work zone during this time.
-
To access Western Hills, use the left lane onto Harbour View Road and Tirohanga Road as usual. However, you can only exit using Harbour View Road.
-
If heading to Hutt Central, use Melling Link instead of Block Road to turn right. Block Road will be closed to all traffic except buses and emergency services.
When heading south towards Wellington City:
-
Use the left lane to stay on SH2 South.
-
To access Western Hills, use Harbour View Road instead of Tirohanga Road, as there is no right turn at the Tirohanga / Block Road intersection.
This traffic layout has been chosen because the morning peak traffic is more spread out and there are more easily accessible alternative routes for the southbound travelling public. The layout and spacing of the intersections also make managing southbound traffic queues easier.
This work is weather dependent, and regular updates will be provided.
These works are crucial to prevent the pipe from failing, which would cause untreated wastewater to discharge into the Hutt River. This would pose significant risks to both public health and the environment and cause and significant road closures.
To ensure the safety of our workers and road users, traffic management will be in place. Here are some key info:
-
The works are expected to take place 24/7 for about two weeks from 12 April, depending on weather conditions.
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Traffic management will be between Melling Link and Kennedy Good Bridge.
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One northbound lane will be closed and speed limits will be reduced.
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To balance the traffic impacts on all lanes and local roads, one southbound lane will be converted into a northbound lane - there will be two northbound lanes towards Lower Hutt/Upper Hutt and one southbound towards Wellington City.
More details on the traffic management will be available soon.
We understand that traffic disruptions caused by this, especially during peak hours, can be frustrating. Please be patient with us and plan ahead during this time as we carry out these critical works.
Critical rehabilitation work will soon begin on the Western Hills Sewer Main - a key wastewater pipeline running beneath State Highway 2 (SH2) in Lower Hutt.
Work is expected to start on the 12 April 2025, aligning with the Easter school holidays, when traffic volumes are generally lower, to minimise impacts on road users. The works will be carried out 24/7 and are anticipated to take two weeks. During this time, daily updates will be provided on Wellington Water’s website and social media platforms.
At this stage, it is likely that one lane will be closed and speed limits will be reduced for the safety of both motorists and contractors. While efforts have been made to minimise disruptions, significant delays are anticipated at peak times. Alternative routes will be advised where possible.
We appreciate that roadworks can be frustrating and disruptive. We ask the public to please be patient with us while we complete this crucial work and to plan ahead and allow extra time for travel during this time. Once the traffic management plan has been finalised, we'll provide details on the impact and the areas most impacts on SH2.
Planning is underway to prepare for the works to commence in the second quarter of 2025. We're also working hard to ensure the potential impacts on SH2 are minimal.
The condition of the two upstream lengths of pipe has been confirmed as poor (condition grade 4). Corrosion is significant so they will be included in the works. The completed options report has confirmed CIPP as the option. Tenders were issued for the works last week and closed on 8 November.
The project team are making great progress with the design phase.
We’ve identified CIPP (Cast-in-place pipe) pipelining to be the most viable option to remediate the wastewater pipeline. Our contractors are now working through finalising the concept design and developing a budget estimate. We have a live operational contingency plan in place
We’ll keep you updated as this work progresses.