Ngā Ūranga ki Pito - One shared path
Te Ara Tupua is the highly anticipated harbour-side walking and cycling link between Wellington and Lower Hutt. The name Te Ara Tupua, gifted by the Taranaki Whānui, reflects the creation story of Te Whanganui a Tara—the story of Ngāke and Whātaitai, the tupua that created the harbour and its landforms. “Te Ara’ translates as ‘pathway’, and ‘Tupua’ refers to Ngake and Whātaitai, the two taniwha who were said to live in the harbour.
The 4.5km long Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One section of the shared path will be built on the harbour’s edge from Ngā Ūranga Interchange to Honiana Te Puni Reserve in Pito-One, connecting to the Pito-One to Melling section that’s currently under construction.
Construction on Te Ara Tupua is expected to begin next year.
The shared path features a new bridge over the railway and six ūranga (landings) at key sites along its length which provide areas for coastal planting, habitat creation, and gathering, recreation and viewing areas.
Project landscape lead, Lisa Rimmer from Isthmus, says the corridor has been an important transport link for the region. “It’s going to be returned back to our community as a place where we can enjoy and have access to the coastal environment.
Director of Regional Relationships at Waka Kotahi, Emma Speight says: “Te Ara Tupua will be a stunning addition to the Wellington Harbour coastline and create a step change in the number of people choosing to walk or bike between Wellington and the Hutt. It will make State Highway 2 and the Hutt rail line more resilient and provide the ability to adapt to sea level rise.”
The path will take around three years to complete.
By providing a safe, attractive 5m wide path, separated from motorised traffic, the Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One shared path will make it possible for more people to try new and active ways of getting between Lower Hutt and Wellington.
Waka Kotahi estimates that by 2030 over 2000 people will cycle the path each weekday, with another 725 walking or running it. Around 160 users of e-scooters or other devices are also expected to travel along it Monday to Friday. Weekend use is also expected to be significant.
As well as providing a safe way to walk and cycle, the design for this crucial infrastructure corridor features new seawalls and rock embankments (revetments) to help protect the transport corridor from the damaging effects of storms, as well as providing habitat for fauna and flora.
The design protects and enhances sensitive land and sea ecologies, adding new offshore habitat for seabirds to offering undisturbed roosting places.
Designed in partnership with Taranaki Whānui, this will be the first Waka Kotahi project considered under the new fast-track consent process. Construction is expected to begin in mid-2021 and take approximately three years to complete.
